The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) recently launched HouseLogic.com, a comprehensive consumer website which provides information about all aspects of homeownership. The site covers home improvement projects, taxes, home finances, insurance, and more.

 

HouseLogic isn’t just for homeowners though. The REALTOR® Content Resource (RCR) component of the site, accessible only by REALTORS®, provides articles for NAR members to integrate into their blogs, websites, and newsletters.

 

Jamie Regan, broker/owner of Century 21/Regan REALTORS® in Mashpee, says, “HouseLogic is like Facebook for homeowners and REALTORS® in terms of excitement. The site will give homeowners and REALTORS® the ability to have an encyclopedia of knowledge at their fingertips. REALTORS® can enhance their relations with past customers, tenants, anyone in their farm area by inviting them to join the site.”

 

REALTORS® can use the information from the RCR as a catalyst for keeping in touch with their clients and customers. RCR content can be sent directly to homebuyers, homeowners, and potential clients as a way to build trust with new contacts and build on existing relationships. Agents can choose a collection of articles to share with their contacts or download individual articles to use as handouts to e-mail to specific customers or to include as part of a newsletter sent to an entire database.

 

The RCR content is meant to provide agents with the tools to enhance their own knowledge of housing topics. For example, REALTORS® can use the data in RCR to become the resource for homeowners trying to evaluate which home improvement projects can bring them the greatest return on their investment.

 

Regan is particularly excited about the ability of REALTORS® to provide information to customers about political and legal changes which can impact homeowners.

 

“The site will  have information on anything that can affect property rights on a national, state, county, and local level,” says Regan. “REALTORS® can learn about these things themselves and can share the information with homeowners on things like zoning changes. Then, they can put out a call-to-action on HouseLogic, which will encourage people to call their representatives and protect their rights.”

 

Regan says this is important for agents like himself who work primarily with owners of second homes who are not usually registered to vote locally, yet who care about local issues which can affect property values.

 

The site will educate consumers directly about what REALTORS® are doing to influence the legislation which will impact their customers.

 

Information will be provided on HouseLogic about topics such as developing a neighborhood watch program, building a community playground, or participating in city or county planning efforts, all of which can impact home values as well as the quality of life for residents.

 

REALTORS® and consumers can register at HouseLogic.com to do the following:
•Save articles and to-do lists to a personal binder.
•Receive content relevant to your interests and your market.
•Set project deadlines and receive e-mail reminders.
•Track progress against savings and value goals.
•Take quizzes associated with each article.

 

Regan says, “HouseLogic is very ‘2010’, with content geared to what people are looking for right now: good value for their money. The best part about it is that, as a REALTOR®, I can be the ‘source of the source’ of this information.”