Online real estate search and information company Trulia this week will allow its registered users to access the site using their Facebook login.
"Full account integration through Facebook Connect is the next step in Trulia’s plan to help real estate professionals expand their social footprint to drive more value to their business," Trulia announced today. Facebook Connect allows Facebook users to bring their Facebook profile to other websites.
Trulia’s integration with Facebook is intended to expand Trulia users’ sphere of influence, company officials said, and increase listings exposure and the potential for new leads. "Our members are looking for new ways to increase their reach and we plan to take advantage of the potential of social networks to deliver on their need," said Sami Inkinen, Trulia co-founder and chief operating officer, in a statement.
Trulia members can already share real estate listings information and open-house times via Facebook, and beginning Friday, Jan. 14, they can log in to their Trulia accounts using their Facebook login info.
Trulia isn’t the only real estate company that is "friending" Facebook as a business strategy. Roost, another online real estate site that formerly specialized in real estate search, changed its business model last year to focus on building social media tools.
"At the end of the day, the world doesn’t need another property search engine, but Realtors absolutely need a social media toolkit for word-of-mouth business," said Alex Chang, Roost’s CEO, of the company’s retooling.