Inman

BuildersUpdate.com relaunches with ‘device agnostic’ responsive design

New-home search site BuildersUpdate.com has relaunched with responsive design, catering to the growing use of mobile devices among real estate agents and consumers.

Responsive design is a type of Web design that adapts a site’s layout according a user’s screen size, thereby allowing users to view a site comfortably on any device, including smartphones and tablets. Homes.com recently launched a responsive design website platform for agents, Homes Connect Fusion.

“With over 80 percent of consumers using websites to search for new homes, and over 65 percent relying on mobile and tablet search engines, the transition from PC/laptop users to tablet/smartphone users has been radical and fast-moving,” said John Navarrete, managing partner of Prologue Branding Group, the branding strategy firm selected by Builders Update to design the site, in a statement.

“Our goal was to deliver the Builders Update message and value proposition succinctly and effectively in a device-agnostic manner.”

In a statement, Juan Barrera, designer of the new look and feel for BuildersUpdate.com, said responsive design is about understanding how your audience consumes your content in today’s digital era.

“It’s a fluid design that works with the user as they transition from laptop to tablet to smartphone during the normal activities of their workday. It was the logical choice for Builders Update to use considering the dramatic shift to mobile devices within the real estate community,” he said.

Builders Update covers 100 of the nation’s top metros and claims to display more than 80 percent of the total new-home inventory available in the U.S. More than 70 percent of new homes being sold are by licensed real estate agents, the company said.

“We wanted to cater to the ever-changing needs of our primary focus group, and deliver a tool that will meet the growing need to access available new-home inventory as existing inventory starts to shrink,” said Bill Gaul, CEO of BuildersUpdate.com, in a statement.

Last week, Builders Update and real estate tech firm RealBiz Media Group announced a partnership that would bring new-home inventory to NestBuilder.com, a video-centric listing portal and agent directory that is operated by RealBiz and launched nationwide earlier this month.

In August, Builders Update was granted a patent for its online search engine, which connects prospective buyers of new homes to real estate agents.

In October, Builders Update signed its first deal with an MLS, the Austin/Central Texas Realty Information Service (ACTRIS), which is owned and operated by the Austin Board of Realtors.

BuildersUpdate.com’s new home page