Coldwell Banker takes selling homes to Second Life

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC has taken the process of looking for a new home to an entirely new level by enabling buyers to tour an exact replica of a home for sale online. Coldwell Banker has created a 3-D reproduction precisely matching the specifications of a newly constructed $3.1 million Mercer Island, Wash., home, currently listed for sale by Coldwell Banker Bain on coldwellbanker.com (MLS# 27053398). This home is available for showing to prospective buyers within the virtual community of Second Life.

The experience allows Second Life avatars to “virtually” walk through each room of the house as if they were in the actual home. A variety of different touch points in the home allows interested visitors to instantly click through where they can ask for information about the home or even set up an appointment with Coldwell Banker Bain sales associate Suzanne Lane.

This marks the first time that any national real estate brand has used the virtual community to market an actual home for sale. Users can visit www.coldwellbankervirtualhome.com for immediate access to the “real world” home and to Second Life.

“Societies like Second Life are allowing industries to completely revolutionize how they interact with their consumers,” said Charlie Young, senior vice president, marketing, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “What makes this so unique is that prospective buyers can literally ‘tour’ this home from the comforts of their home and computer. Prospective buyers can get the most comprehensive view of the home possible short of actually visiting it.

Originally posted on August 3, 2007 @ 10:36 am