Realtor.com is unleashing its social profile tool SocialBios after two years in beta with updates including integrated reviews from LinkedIn and RealSatisfied, an image-enhanced profile framework, and insight into social media profiles for agents of those who visit their profiles.
The tool, which was named “Best Tech Startup” in 2011 by attendees at Inman Connect New York City, has been incubating since the portal’s operator, Move Inc., purchased it in 2011, and currently is used by approximately 34,000 agents on their realtor.com profiles.
In addition to the updates listed above, agents can now include up to three profile photos and a Vine video clip to their profiles, have multiple listing service info like their new listings and open houses automatically pushed to their profiles, and utilize an updated tool (an “API”) that can be used to push profile information to other platforms.
These updates accompany a suite of things SocialBios already did like allowing users to “like” agents on Facebook or give them a “+1” on Google from their profile page. It also gives agents the ability to broadcast the social media reviews they receive automatically through their social networks.
The tool’s “HyperSocial” feature also gives users the ability to see how they’re connected to an agent via Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Google Plus and LinkedIn. (See an example of a SocialBios profile here.)
This SocialBios update is part of a bigger bet by Move that enhancing agent profiles will shift the starting point of a consumer’s connection with an agent from the real estate listing to the in-depth SocialBios profile, said Ernie Graham, founder of SocialBios and head of Move’s social product and development.
“That’s my dream, my vision,” Graham said. For deep content on agents, consumers should be coming to a company affiliated with Realtor brand, he said.
Currently, SocialBios does not integrate with agents’ profiles and reviews on sites like Zillow and Trulia, Graham said. Zillow pushed hard in its agent-focused roadshow this summer for agents to build out their agent profiles with reviews.
Graham hopes SocialBios will incorporate reviews from these sites in the future to build a truly comprehensive profile.
After a couple of years in the shadows, Graham said this release is just the tip of the iceberg for SocialBios. “This is boring compared to what we’re going to come up with next,” he said.