Comments on: Trulia Out of Beta with New Features and Widgets http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/ Startup and Technology News Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:52:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Sequoia Leads Trulia’s $10 Million Series C http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-2302205 Sequoia Leads Trulia’s $10 Million Series C Fri, 16 May 2008 23:26:40 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-2302205 [...] Trulia moved out of beta earlier this month and launched a number of new features. [...] [...] Trulia moved out of beta earlier this month and launched a number of new features. [...]

]]> By: Wisest of the crowds » Munching through the ecosytem http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1473074 Wisest of the crowds » Munching through the ecosytem Fri, 29 Jun 2007 18:54:10 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1473074 [...] to also being agent centric. The list of reviews worth reading follows: Pat Kitano, StartupSquad, TechCrunch, Joel Burslem, Greg [...] [...] to also being agent centric. The list of reviews worth reading follows: Pat Kitano, StartupSquad, TechCrunch, Joel Burslem, Greg [...]

]]> By: Gerri http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1397341 Gerri Sat, 26 May 2007 16:29:24 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1397341 I agree with eBiz MBA, that consumers are clamoring for a different model. But I've been asking people if they've heard of Zillow and am surprised at how many haven't -- yet. I agree with eBiz MBA, that consumers are clamoring for a different model. But I’ve been asking people if they’ve heard of Zillow and am surprised at how many haven’t — yet.

]]> By: llpr http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1393951 llpr Thu, 24 May 2007 15:31:21 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1393951 Another mover in this industry is LighthouseListings.com. We have taken many shortcomings of other real estate sites and have built a website to address these issues. We are relatively new to this space, but have made quick strides to provide the usability, functionality and presence that home owners and renters are looking for. LighthouseListings.com is a great “do it yourself” real estate listing site where you can quickly and easily advertise your own home for sale or rent to gain greater exposure for your property over the Internet. It's well laid out without the usual clutter of most real estate websites. It also boasts many great features such as adding your own photo slideshow, include an interactive property map, advertise your open house, ability to edit your listing anytime and much more. See what other people are talking about as the most easy and user-friendly real estate listing site on the web at http://www.lighthouselistings.com. Another mover in this industry is LighthouseListings.com. We have taken many shortcomings of other real estate sites and have built a website to address these issues. We are relatively new to this space, but have made quick strides to provide the usability, functionality and presence that home owners and renters are looking for.

LighthouseListings.com is a great “do it yourself” real estate listing site where you can quickly and easily advertise your own home for sale or rent to gain greater exposure for your property over the Internet. It’s well laid out without the usual clutter of most real estate websites. It also boasts many great features such as adding your own photo slideshow, include an interactive property map, advertise your open house, ability to edit your listing anytime and much more. See what other people are talking about as the most easy and user-friendly real estate listing site on the web at http://www.lighthouselistings.com.

]]> By: Vidar Hokstad http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372735 Vidar Hokstad Sat, 12 May 2007 09:04:51 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372735 Charles, If you search for affordable housing across all of Edgeio, it's true you do get a lot of books etc. too, because they do match your search. Adjusting relevance to meet the expectations of the average user is always an ongoing challenge, and we certainly still have work to do there. However, we do have several ways for you to target your results if you don't immediately find what you want. In this case: Search in the "housing" vertical, not across all results. If you click the "housing" link above the search box, or the "housing" tag in the "related tags" box on the right hand side of the page, you get this: http://www.edgeio.com/ss/affordable%20housing/housing Which seems to be closer to what you are looking for. Vidar Charles,

If you search for affordable housing across all of Edgeio, it’s true you do get a lot of books etc. too, because they do match your search. Adjusting relevance to meet the expectations of the average user is always an ongoing challenge, and we certainly still have work to do there.

However, we do have several ways for you to target your results if you don’t immediately find what you want. In this case: Search in the “housing” vertical, not across all results. If you click the “housing” link above the search box, or the “housing” tag in the “related tags” box on the right hand side of the page, you get this:

http://www.edgeio.com/ss/affor.....ng/housing

Which seems to be closer to what you are looking for.

Vidar

]]> By: Keith Teare http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372574 Keith Teare Sat, 12 May 2007 04:20:45 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372574 Charles - edgeio does indeed have spam, like all search engines I guess. We have a pretty decent way of dealing with it. Your search throws it up because you didn't drill down to a city. The 1.2m does not include Spam, it is pure mls data acquired via the idx protocol. Incidentally I love Trulia, and the edgeio data is available to them to syndicate. Try some of these searches: <a href="http://www.edgeio.com/ss/housing?sid=m0LZkKW3lB&rank=price&dir=desc" rel="nofollow">California Homes</a> <a href="http://www.edgeio.com/ss/housing?location=51310" rel="nofollow">Miami Homes</a> Horsedung - You are right about UI issues but remember we are a general classifieds search engine not a vertical for real estate. Our goal is to send traffic back to the publisher of the listing. Their site would have all the navigation bells and whistles. Having said that, we can do better. Expect a new UI on edgeio in a few weeks. Keith edgeio Charles - edgeio does indeed have spam, like all search engines I guess. We have a pretty decent way of dealing with it. Your search throws it up because you didn’t drill down to a city. The 1.2m does not include Spam, it is pure mls data acquired via the idx protocol.

Incidentally I love Trulia, and the edgeio data is available to them to syndicate.

Try some of these searches:

California Homes

Miami Homes

Horsedung - You are right about UI issues but remember we are a general classifieds search engine not a vertical for real estate. Our goal is to send traffic back to the publisher of the listing. Their site would have all the navigation bells and whistles. Having said that, we can do better. Expect a new UI on edgeio in a few weeks.

Keith
edgeio

]]> By: nomadicalloy http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372546 nomadicalloy Sat, 12 May 2007 03:34:02 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372546 data is the key, no mater how flashy the front end looks. data is the key, no mater how flashy the front end looks.

]]> By: Charles http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372539 Charles Sat, 12 May 2007 03:16:58 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372539 Sites like Trulia and Zillow, have based their business model on the aiding and abetting of an ongoing information crime. This crime, or to be more gentle, sin, has been committed against U.S. consumers by the NAR its constituents for the past 100+ years. The information asymmetry of the MLS system is at the heart of what protects the artificially high transactional cost of buying or selling a home - when contracting a Realtor for either side of the transaction. The entire business model of Realtor is inherently a conflict of interest. A Realtor's relationship with the consumer is very similar to the one that used to exist with your stock broker - pre-internet. Look how the internet leveled that playing field by offering a lower-cost and more efficient transactional method. This was accomplished by slaying the beast of information asymmetry. When was the last time you called your broker to buy or find information on a stock? Zillow and Trulia are superficial services - real estate porn with cool maps and whiz-bang widgets. Ultimately, they are doing very little to level the playing field for consumers. What consumer really need is a "truly" alternative, lower-cost transaction model. Like ETrade and their kind did. Sites like Trulia and Zillow, have based their business model on the aiding and abetting of an ongoing information crime. This crime, or to be more gentle, sin, has been committed against U.S. consumers by the NAR its constituents for the past 100+ years.

The information asymmetry of the MLS system is at the heart of what protects the artificially high transactional cost of buying or selling a home - when contracting a Realtor for either side of the transaction.

The entire business model of Realtor is inherently a conflict of interest. A Realtor’s relationship with the consumer is very similar to the one that used to exist with your stock broker - pre-internet. Look how the internet leveled that playing field by offering a lower-cost and more efficient transactional method. This was accomplished by slaying the beast of information asymmetry. When was the last time you called your broker to buy or find information on a stock?

Zillow and Trulia are superficial services - real estate porn with cool maps and whiz-bang widgets. Ultimately, they are doing very little to level the playing field for consumers. What consumer really need is a “truly” alternative, lower-cost transaction model. Like ETrade and their kind did.

]]> By: Charles http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372530 Charles Sat, 12 May 2007 02:45:22 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372530 Keith - Been to Edgeio and found it's housing data to absolutely filled with link spam. For example, I searched 'affordable housing' and got a bunch of links to Amazon books Does your claim of 1.2mil listings exclude the spam? -Charlie Keith -

Been to Edgeio and found it’s housing data to absolutely filled with link spam. For example, I searched ‘affordable housing’ and got a bunch of links to Amazon books

Does your claim of 1.2mil listings exclude the spam?

-Charlie

]]> By: HorseDung http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372441 HorseDung Fri, 11 May 2007 22:54:38 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372441 Keith Teare, yeah, but the Edegio listing format is crap and more difficult to navigate. Trulia could really be a winner if they can get complete data. Zillow actually is worse than in recent months, not because of data but because site navigation and usability. Seems to be swimming in Ad units that give it a chaotic look. Keith Teare, yeah, but the Edegio listing format is crap and more difficult to navigate.

Trulia could really be a winner if they can get complete data.

Zillow actually is worse than in recent months, not because of data but because site navigation and usability. Seems to be swimming in Ad units that give it a chaotic look.

]]> By: jim http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372411 jim Fri, 11 May 2007 21:30:40 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372411 Oh my god. Did you guys read about page? "We ARE NOT brokers or agents. We are not looking to make a commission on your real estate transaction. We will not sell your personal information. We will not force you to become a lead." We will not sell your personal information. That's lie... You can tell by sentence. Oh my god. Did you guys read about page?

“We ARE NOT brokers or agents. We are not looking to make a commission on your real estate transaction. We will not sell your personal information. We will not force you to become a lead.”

We will not sell your personal information. That’s lie… You can tell by sentence.

]]> By: Keith Teare http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372407 Keith Teare Fri, 11 May 2007 21:24:07 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372407 edgeio is pulling data from the MLS. We have about 1.2m listings from the mls and a further 750k foreclosures and are about to post 5m rentals. Keith edgeio edgeio is pulling data from the MLS. We have about 1.2m listings from the mls and a further 750k foreclosures and are about to post 5m rentals.

Keith
edgeio

]]> By: Get the correct data!! http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372404 Get the correct data!! Fri, 11 May 2007 21:18:58 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372404 Why need print TC correct data? I read article online, Most VC need huge returns rather than false claims. DEAR TC... Just give us positive views... Please don't fabricate.... I enjoy the site... people like trusted source. Why need print TC correct data?

I read article online, Most VC need huge returns rather than false claims.

DEAR TC…

Just give us positive views…
Please don’t fabricate….
I enjoy the site…

people like trusted source.

]]> By: Get the correct data!! http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372393 Get the correct data!! Fri, 11 May 2007 20:59:02 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372393 "Trulia is claimed 1.5 million unique visitors in April. During the same time period Zillow claimed 4 million. " The claims is all wrong. According to Alexa data Zillow have 0.08 visitors and Zillow Trulia have 0.02 visitors. They are not average million visitors(It's about thousand vistors). In fact, with false claims, investors would sell freaking shares on both company who enter IPO. Once you get Venture captial's money. 1.You can't lie... 2.you can't assume... 3. You can't put false claim... You should see the people at wall street and investor firm such as(ML.com, bear stern, etc). They are very aggressive. They would kill any company who assume they have million visitors. “Trulia is claimed 1.5 million unique visitors in April. During the same time period Zillow claimed 4 million. ” The claims is all wrong.

According to Alexa data Zillow have 0.08 visitors and Zillow Trulia have
0.02 visitors. They are not average million visitors(It’s about thousand vistors). In fact, with false claims, investors would sell freaking shares on both company who enter IPO.

Once you get Venture captial’s money.
1.You can’t lie…
2.you can’t assume…
3. You can’t put false claim…

You should see the people at wall street and investor firm such as(ML.com, bear stern, etc). They are very aggressive. They would kill any company who assume they have million visitors.

]]> By: mathew http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372387 mathew Fri, 11 May 2007 20:51:54 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372387 Trulia? Is that pronounced "True liar"? Seems appropriate for a realtor... Trulia? Is that pronounced “True liar”? Seems appropriate for a realtor…

]]> By: pallet jack http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372377 pallet jack Fri, 11 May 2007 20:38:44 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372377 Zillow knocks this out of the water - Zillow knocks this out of the water -

]]> By: E Fall http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372367 E Fall Fri, 11 May 2007 20:21:40 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372367 You guys check this out www.tv-links.co.uk You guys check this out http://www.tv-links.co.uk

]]> By: Derek http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372363 Derek Fri, 11 May 2007 20:19:34 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372363 First off full disclosure - I only spent about a minute on the website. That being said, that first minute is critical to getting somebody interested IMO. My $.02 worth is I prefer Redfin to Trulia. I'll play with it some more later - but Redfin gets my nod. First off full disclosure - I only spent about a minute on the website. That being said, that first minute is critical to getting somebody interested IMO. My $.02 worth is I prefer Redfin to Trulia. I’ll play with it some more later - but Redfin gets my nod.

]]> By: Dave G http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372362 Dave G Fri, 11 May 2007 20:19:30 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372362 I like the look of the new trulia...the redesign is great. But my questions remain... 1. If I am looking for a property in the Twin Cities...why do I want to search half the inventory available when I can simply go to an MLS enabled website and view everything? 2. If I am looking for a property in the Twin Cities...why do I want to visit one website just to be directed to another? I think success in this sector will be based on the "path of least resistance." I think trulia has built some great tools...but personally, I am not interested in looking at heat maps...I am interested in looking at houses for sale - all of them. (Disclosure: We are launching a competitive site soon - http://www.istew.com) I like the look of the new trulia…the redesign is great.

But my questions remain…

1. If I am looking for a property in the Twin Cities…why do I want to search half the inventory available when I can simply go to an MLS enabled website and view everything?

2. If I am looking for a property in the Twin Cities…why do I want to visit one website just to be directed to another? I think success in this sector will be based on the “path of least resistance.”

I think trulia has built some great tools…but personally, I am not interested in looking at heat maps…I am interested in looking at houses for sale - all of them.

(Disclosure: We are launching a competitive site soon - http://www.istew.com)

]]> By: Dan http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372338 Dan Fri, 11 May 2007 20:00:40 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372338 Trulia doesn't need more features, they need to focus on complete data. I was looking for a house not so long ago; when I tried Trulia, it looked great. But I stopped using it because it was missing a substantial portion of what was on the MLS. The MLS's interface was awful, but completeness beats UI when making a purchase of that magnitude. Trulia doesn’t need more features, they need to focus on complete data. I was looking for a house not so long ago; when I tried Trulia, it looked great. But I stopped using it because it was missing a substantial portion of what was on the MLS. The MLS’s interface was awful, but completeness beats UI when making a purchase of that magnitude.

]]> By: TJ http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372263 TJ Fri, 11 May 2007 19:21:47 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372263 While it's correct that Trulia is pulling data directly from some brokerages (and crawling broker websites), it's also true that if the folks at Realtor.com ever actually get off their a** and create a good product, Trulia's days are numbered. Because Trulia doesn't have access to the full MLS, their site only lists a subset of properties on the market. Users will always want the most comprehensive list of available properties which right now means the MLS (which is fed directly into Realtor.com). So Trulia is in a bit of a long term quandary. They have built a great interface and have been clever about getting around their lack of access to the MLS. But if the sleeping giant of MLS ever wakes up, consumers will inevitably turn to the source that provides the most data. While it’s correct that Trulia is pulling data directly from some brokerages (and crawling broker websites), it’s also true that if the folks at Realtor.com ever actually get off their a** and create a good product, Trulia’s days are numbered. Because Trulia doesn’t have access to the full MLS, their site only lists a subset of properties on the market. Users will always want the most comprehensive list of available properties which right now means the MLS (which is fed directly into Realtor.com).

So Trulia is in a bit of a long term quandary. They have built a great interface and have been clever about getting around their lack of access to the MLS. But if the sleeping giant of MLS ever wakes up, consumers will inevitably turn to the source that provides the most data.

]]> By: Robin Wauters http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372257 Robin Wauters Fri, 11 May 2007 19:17:55 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372257 Nick, I feel the article is missing a direct link to the Trulia website. Nick, I feel the article is missing a direct link to the Trulia website.

]]> By: eBizMBA http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372250 eBizMBA Fri, 11 May 2007 19:12:38 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372250 Widget Mania Hits Real Estate Sites! Not exactly the important portion of this story. The reason that trulia and Zillow are growing is because of the absolute need for new homeowners to access independent valuation info. Buying the wrong home for the wrong price can destroy the financial future of most people. Truila is providing the right product at the right time and thank goodness. Widget Mania Hits Real Estate Sites! Not exactly the important portion of this story. The reason that trulia and Zillow are growing is because of the absolute need for new homeowners to access independent valuation info. Buying the wrong home for the wrong price can destroy the financial future of most people. Truila is providing the right product at the right time and thank goodness.

]]> By: Nick Gonzalez http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372246 Nick Gonzalez Fri, 11 May 2007 19:08:42 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372246 Austin, Jim Duncan is right - Trulia isn't pulling data from MLS, they're going directly to brokers like cantury 21 and coldwell. Austin, Jim Duncan is right - Trulia isn’t pulling data from MLS, they’re going directly to brokers like cantury 21 and coldwell.

]]> By: Jim Duncan http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372240 Jim Duncan Fri, 11 May 2007 19:03:03 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/11/trulia-out-of-beta-with-new-features-and-widgets/#comment-1372240 Austin - My understanding is that the agreements that Trulia have are not with NAR, but with the individual companies - Realogy, Keller Williams, etc. What may be more likely is that the big companies will pull their feeds from NAR/Realtor.com. Austin -

My understanding is that the agreements that Trulia have are not with NAR, but with the individual companies - Realogy, Keller Williams, etc. What may be more likely is that the big companies will pull their feeds from NAR/Realtor.com.

]]>