Coldwell Banker Canada Launches Microsoft Surface Interface

COLDWELL BANKER^® CANADA OPERATIONS LAUNCHES MICROSOFT SURFACE INTERFACE TO ENHANCE THE HOME SEARCH EXPERIENCE

TORONTO, ON - March 27, 2009 – Coldwell Banker Canada Operations ULC today announced the launch of the brand’s customized real estate application developed for Microsoft Surface™.  The dynamic new real estate interface was unveiled during a live interactive demo at the Coldwell Banker^® Canadian Broker Meeting and Awards Gala being held today in Toronto. The new Microsoft Surface home search application allows users to interact with thousands of home listings, real estate maps and other www.coldwellbanker.com features in a way that is familiar, by using simple hand gestures. Similar to the intuitive technology featured in the futuristic film, “Minority Report”, this exploration on the use of Microsoft Surface represents yet another way in which Coldwell Banker is working to harness innovative technologies to benefit home buyers and sellers.

The first commercially available surface computing platform from Microsoft, Microsoft Surface turns an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant, interactive surface. Its 30-inch diagonal, table-like display provides effortless access to digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects placed on the display.

Coldwell Banker leveraged the unique interface and capabilities of Microsoft Surface to develop a home search application that will provide a new interactive and intuitive way to explore real estate listings and neighbourhoods. Over the course of the roll-out, the following features are scheduled to be released:
 

• Explore. Home listings from across Canada and around the world can be viewed via area maps, specific search criteria such as city, province and price, and by standard number of bedrooms and bathrooms.  With a simple touch of the screen, users expand or contract the search area and locate listings, Coldwell Banker offices and area amenities including restaurants, hospitals, schools – gauging the distance between them.

• Learn. Details of a particular property listing are displayed and arranged by screen touches.  Images of the home are easily accessed, enlarged and moved by hand movements.

• Interact. File listings by "grabbing" content with their hands from the display and "dropping" it into the appropriate folder, thus creating an itinerary that they can email to a sales representative. 

Coldwell Banker unveiled its home search application by conducting demonstrations of Microsoft Surface to more than 250 attendees during today’s Canadian Broker Meeting and Joint Session.

The renowned global brand’s rollout of this technology includes a virtual demo on a YouTube video found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a4273i_K2k  and live demonstrations at real estate events throughout North America this year. 

“As a leader in the real estate industry with a strong heritage of innovation, we recognized that the Microsoft Surface technology has some very interesting potential to change the future of the real estate search," said Michael Fischer, senior vice president of marketing for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.  Fischer, based at the brand’s international headquarters in Parsippany, New Jersey, has traveled to Canada with a team of other Senior Management guests to launch the new initiative to over 250 Canadian Brokers and sales representatives. “Microsoft Surface allows us to showcase listings in a very unique way that offers users a different experience with the entire real estate search process literally at their fingertips.  We believe the technology can increase consumer engagement to an entirely new level.”

“This is another example of how the power of our global brand benefits Canadian consumers,” said John Geha, president of Canadian Operations.  “There are no barriers between Canada and the U.S. when it comes to delivering outstanding service and innovation to our customers all across North America.”

In January, Coldwell Banker became the first real estate brand in Canada to launch a customized online platform for iPhoneTM and BlackBerry users across Canada and the U.S.  


About Coldwell Banker^®
Since 1906, the Coldwell Banker^® organization has been a premier full-service real estate provider. In 2008, Franchise Times magazine’s prestigious Top 200 issue ranked the Coldwell Banker system No. 1 in real estate for the ninth straight year and 12th among franchisors in all industries. The Coldwell Banker System has approximately 3,500 residential real estate offices and 105,300 sales associates in 46 countries and territories. . Here in Canada, Coldwell Banker^® is a national real estate leader with over 200 independently owned residential and commercial franchise offices operating in every province except Quebec as well as in the Yukon and Northwest Territories.  A marketing innovator and technology leader, Coldwell Banker pioneered Ultimate Service^® in Canada and achieved a 98% customer satisfaction rating from over 50,000 Canadian home buyers and sellers.  For more information visit www.coldwellbanker.ca.

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation, a global provider of real estate and relocation services. Coldwell Banker^® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Each office is independently owned and operated.

About Coldwell Banker®
Since 1906, the Coldwell Banker® organization has been a premier full-service real estate provider. In 2008, Franchise Times magazine's prestigious Top 200 issue ranked the Coldwell Banker system No. 1 in real estate for the ninth straight year and 12th among franchisors in all industries. The Coldwell Banker System has approximately 3,500 residential real estate offices and approximately 100,000 sales associates in 47 countries and territories. The Coldwell Banker System is a leader in the industry in residential and commercial real estate, and in niche markets such as resort, new home and luxury property through its Coldwell Banker Previews International® division. It is a pioneer in consumer services with its Coldwell Banker Concierge ® Service Program and award-winning Web site, www.coldwellbanker.com. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation, a global provider of real estate and relocation services. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Each office is independently owned and operated.