Windermere Solutions sheds Windermere name
After Windermere Real Estate spun off a technology company in 2011 devoted to providing technology solutions to agents across all companies, Windermere Solutions is rebranding to Sweepre (said “sweeper”) Interactive and asserts that an array of new products will launch in this calendar year. The company has already launched agent websites and touch CMA, with an extensive product roadmap for 2012.
The company says the new name more accurately reflects its core products and services, reinforcing its value to professionals in the residential real estate industry. Sweepre says the name is derived from the concept of sweeping, stating that “In order to provide timely, accurate real estate advice to their clients, real estate professionals must gather property listings and other data from multiple listing services (MLS) – a process known as sweeping.”
Proud of roots, but aware of confusion
Shedding the Windermere brand will help consumers understand that although spun off from a real estate company, which they tell AGBeat has long been a testing ground for products before released, the tools are designed for agents at any residential real estate company.
“When we launched the company as Windermere Solutions two years ago, we were a true spin-off from Windermere Real Estate, one of the largest independent real estate brands in the United States,” said OB Jacobi, chief executive officer of sweepRE. “We’re very proud of our roots, but we also found that our name association with Windermere was creating confusion in the marketplace because people thought we were the technology division of Windermere.”
Jacobi added that, “Sweepre is an independent brand and the new name reflects that independence. While Windermere Real Estate is a valued client our technology products and services are available to the entire real estate industry.”
“Real estate professionals are becoming increasingly savvy about how to use technology to enhance the experience of buying and selling a home,” Jacobi said. “Frankly, consumers expect more and touchCMA and our other products, such as Agent Web Sites, help our clients meet and exceed those expectations.”
Sweepre in 2015
In an exclusive interview with Jacobi, we asked what Sweepre will look like in 2015? Jacobi confirms there are many great products on the market presently, but that Sweepre believes most try to tackle too many issues at once, resulting in agents unaware of how to use them. “So as we look to the future,” Jacobi said, “three things come to mind.”
“First, address the status quo. One of the biggest obstacles preventing the adoption and growth of any new technology to overcome is status quo. Many agents have been successful by following tried and true practices, so they may be reluctant to change their methods and approach, and to integrate new tools and technology into their practice. Part of that reluctance may be rooted in fear of change and the unknown. However, the public believes technology can be a powerful ally in the buying and selling process. By building tools that eliminate the fear and mystery associated with technology-driven change, we help agents be more successful.”
“Second, make things easy to use. Agents are busy and that last thing they want to do is learn a new technology. We’re focused on developing products that are easy to learn, easy to use and help centralize an agent’s work flow. Not only do they help minimize the stress of using technology, but they provide the biggest bang for the buck. This philosophy guided the development of touchCMA, our comparative market analysis tool for the iPad, and it will continue to guide us into 2015 and beyond.”
“Finally, build and reinforce connectivity. We’re going to focus on connectivity between clients and agents. NAR statistics show that the vast majority of the buying and selling population don’t use their agent a second time because, in many cases, they’ve lost the connection with the agent. That’s really a disturbing statistic for agents and brokers. We believe we can build products that connect clients and agents together and add ongoing value to the relationship by helping them stay connected.”
