Roost Launches Partner Network for Real Estate Industry

New Home Search Site Creates “Roost IDX Partner Network”

To Support All Real Estate Brokers

SAN FRANCISCO, February 4, 2008 – Roost, an innovative platform for real estate search, has launched the Roost IDX Partner Network to help support real estate brokers nationwide in their marketing efforts.

Roost helps local real estate brokers and agents attract home seekers to their own Web sites, so that they can directly convert potential home buyers to qualified leads under their own brand. This is accomplished via an intuitive search tool, built for consumers who want to quickly access the freshest property listings. Roost’s platform is comprised of a network of individual, IDX compliant property search sites and a comprehensive consumer search engine. This approach ensures that consumers have access to the freshest and most accurate property listings as soon as they are available, while local brokers and REALTORS® attract additional, self-selected and meaningful traffic to their core Web sites.

Through the Roost IDX Partner Network, brokers benefit in the following ways:

• Every participating broker is provided with an individual, co-branded, IDX compliant property search site
• Brokers can attract qualified visitors to their core corporate Web sites, which enables conversion to active leads under a broker’s own brand
• Promotion of each broker’s brand and contact information on Roost’s platform
• Each broker has full access to data on the performance of their presence on Roost
• Brokers remain in complete control of their marketing spend with the ability to set monthly budgets in any amount

After launching in public beta on January 23, 2008, Roost has already signed up more than 40 broker partners in 14 regional markets, spanning the Atlanta; Baltimore; Boise, Idaho; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Houston; Minneapolis, Minn.; Orange County, Calif.; Philadelphia; Portland, Ore.; Sacramento/Modesto, Calif.; San Diego and Washington D.C. areas.

The Roost IDX Partner Network supports brokers’ efforts, by offering an innovative online marketing vehicle for brokers and REALTORS®. It provides individual “IDX” sites as part of its platform, which access MLS listings in full compliance with local policies to attract self-selected, relevant buyers and sellers to local REALTOR®’s sites. The program is open to real estate brokerages of all sizes and types in local markets across the country, and already comprises some of the country’s most innovative and leading local brokers.

Current participants in the program include:

• @ Properties
• Advanced Real Estate Services
• Century 21 Carole White Associates
• Century 21 Sussex and Reilly
• Classic Properties REALTORS®
• Coldwell Banker Burnet
• Coldwell Banker Elite
• Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
• David Winans GMAC Real Estate
• ERA Key Realty Services
• Intero Real Estate Services
• Long & Foster
• Lyon Real Estate
• Prudential CA/NV/TX Realty
• Prudential California Realty
• Prudential Carruthers REALTORS®
• Prudential Fox & Roach, REALTORS®
• Prudential Gary Greene, REALTORS®
• Prudential Georgia Realty
• Sadle Real Estate Team at John L Scott
• Tarbell, REALTORS®
• Towne & Country, REALTORS®
• Willis Allen Real Estate
• Windermere Real Estate Capital Group, Inc.

“We’re pleased to be participating on the Roost platform,” said Steve Storti, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Prudential Fox & Roach, REALTORS®. “In this market, we are always looking for creative methods to reach customers in ways that provide high ROI, and we feel that Roost has the right approach when it comes to working with the industry in a compliant and effective way.”

“We’re already seeing the tangible benefits of being involved with the Roost IDX Partner Network, in terms of increased traffic to our site, and well-qualified leads coming through,” said Rick Sadle, Broker, at the Sadle Real Estate Team at John L Scott. “For us, ongoing innovation is the way to keep growing in a tough market, and Roost provides that.”

“We are deeply committed to working with all brokers across the country, as part of our mission to connect brokers and REALTORS® with the most relevant and highest quality consumers,” said Alex Chang, CEO of Roost. “Our platform was built with the needs of the industry in mind, and we’ve worked at every stage to ensure full compliancy with each local MLS, so we’re confident that the Roost IDX Partner Network will offer brokers a valuable way to increase the flow of qualified traffic to their own sites.”

Roost has established relationships with MLSs across the country including MLS Property Information Network (MLS PIN), which covers 90 percent of the state of Massachusetts (including Greater Boston) and other parts of New England, as well as MetroList Services, Inc. and SoCalMLS, which cover much of California. As Roost grows into new target markets, the company will continue to forge these relationships to provide the most accurate and complete listings data on the market.

The Roost IDX Partner Network will expand as Roost extends its coverage area to additional markets over the next few months. For more details on the Roost IDX Partner Network, visit http://www.roost.com. For brokers and agents interested in joining the Roost IDX Partner Network, contact sales@roost.com.

About Roost

Roost is an innovative online real estate platform that combines a network of individual real estate broker Web sites with a comprehensive search engine. Roost offers new search technology, an intuitive, visual interface and the most comprehensive property listings to help users find a home for sale and find it fast. The company works collaboratively with Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) and real estate brokers in each region to provide up-to-date, accurate data. Roost currently lists homes for sale in Atlanta; Baltimore; Boise, Idaho; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Houston; Minneapolis, Minn.; Orange County, Calif.; Philadelphia; Portland, Ore.; Sacramento/Modesto, Calif.; San Diego and Washington D.C. areas, ensuring the results for each local search are thorough. Founded in 2007, Roost is based in San Francisco, Calif. To start your home search, visit http://www.roost.com
 

 IDX stands for “Internet Data Exchange” commonly called Broker Reciprocity. IDX is the primary means of enhancing cooperation between REALTORS® to facilitate the purchase and sale of real estate property.