REBNY launches new search engine linking NYC homebuyers to listings

The Real Estate Board of New York, Inc. (REBNY), recently launched ResidentialNYC.com, its official comprehensive website enabling homebuyers to link to thousands of exclusive home listings from thousands of REBNY residential member brokers. The site will provide access to condos, co-ops, townhouses and homes both for sale and for rent. ResidentialNYC.com will be one of the city's largest repositories of exclusive listings and promises to be one of the most consumer-friendly real estate search interfaces. The site also contains a wealth of information about the city's residential market, neighborhoods, school districts and more, making it a true one-stop destination for homebuyers on the web. "ResidentialNYC.com is a one-stop consumer oriented search engine for the people of New York City and those who want to come live here. Prior to today, the process of finding a new home has been unnecessarily complicated and frustrating for consumers," said Steven Spinola, REBNY's president. ResidentialNYC.com search criteria will facilitate real estate searches based on purchase or rental, price, type of property, number of rooms, and neighborhood. When a listing is found, the user can link directly to the online posting of the property on a REBNY member brokerage firm's website to review details and broker contact information. The user also can save the listing in a "favorites" folder for future access or email a direct link about the property with notes. ResidentialNYC.com also enables consumers to stay informed via email of listings that match their specific search criteria. The portal will also offer consumers additional resources such as borough guides, neighborhood and school district information, a mortgage calculator, a glossary of standard real estate terms, buyer, seller and renter guides, FAQs, and a complete list of participating brokers and links to their websites. The site is powered by Trulia.com, giving New York City home seekers access to Trulia's award-winning, intuitive interface and full set of free and interactive consumer tools. New York-based Posner Advertising, an integrated agency specializing in the real estate industry, developed the site's branding, graphic design and marketing campaign, which includes print, interactive, cinema and transit media.