HomeCharlotte.com Changes the Way People Find a Home … They Pay Them

Charlotte natives and co-founders of local internet start-up HomeCharlotte.com, Galen and Landon Massey believe that they have a better way for people to find their next home in the Charlotte Area; they pay them.

With their official site launch in July of 2006 brothers Galen and Landon Massey have released Version 1.0 of what they call Social Networking for Charlotte Real Estate. Inspired by the free and open nature of the internet, HomeCharlotte.com allows visitors to explore listings without registering and to get a Cash Rebate when they close a deal. In addition HomeCharlotte makes a Charitable Contribution of 10% of their net Commission from every successful transaction on the site to their local charity partner Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte.

“We firmly believe that this site will change the way online Real Estate is done … in Charlotte and across the country” says co-founder and CEO Landon Massey. “What really makes our site work is that professionals, individual sellers and landlords can add personal blogs (weblog entries) about their listings, themselves and their companies on the fly 24/7 providing instant updates and the latest deals or changes in property offerings directly to consumers in real time”. This gives visitors the reassurance that they are getting fresh data and the best deals with no hassle. “Our donation to local Charities is designed to help our users feel good about using our service by helping them give something back to the community and others who are struggling.”

From childhoods in a mobile home with no running water, no power and no heat the founders of HomeCharlotte know what struggle is and they intend to make the struggle of homeownership fade by properly applying technology and the spirit of giving to the process. “When we were growing up our parents lost a small business due primarily to the energy crisis and gas shortage of the 1970’s and we were poor. In fact, “poor” just scratches the surface. We really went without and while we can’t cure poverty and we know, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that there are other children who’ve had a much harder experience than we may have had, we feel that our struggles compel us to give something back and we will continue giving back.”

Up until now home shoppers have had few choices from sites willing to “give something back”. In fact, they have been faced with few alternatives to making home buying choices online at all. The current mix includes individual agent websites which can be challenging to locate, large national sites with fewer local listings and no individual input from the listing parties, mortgage sites that offer a rebate if users find a home and get their mortgage from that site.

What HomeCharlotte brings to the table is targeted local listings, direct blog entries from the listing parties and a cash rebate just for making contact online and closing a transaction. The site offers links to see what other properties have sold for, virtual tours of listings and an array of property types including the full shared portion of the Carolina Multiple Listing Service (MLS), builder new home listings, for sale by owner (FSBO) listings and even Rental Listings.

The simple “Smart Tab” search interface is designed for fast, simple use by visitors at any level of computer proficiency. For example, you can start with a range of monthly rental rates, beds, baths, etc. and by simply clicking a different property type “Smart Tab” you get other property types in that monthly payment price range; all of the other search criteria is still the same. “We had to make it simple to use. We really want people to find their next home with us. In fact, our revenue model was created so that we have to be better than anyone else or we don’t make money”, says Massey, They don’t make money because the site is free for searching and for listing property until a transaction is completed. “That is the way it should be … technology should help people.”

A wave of change, known in technology circles as Web2.0, is finally reaching the Real Estate industry and Charlotte can be proud that HomeCharlotte is leading the way. To learn more or find your next home visit www.HomeCharlotte.com or search homecharlotte.com from any major search engine today.

Contact: Landon Massey 704-222-6724