Inman

New click-to-talk system enters real estate realm

PrivateTel, a privacy-oriented telecommunications company, today announced the launch of Click-and-Connect, a customer relationship management technology for real estate firms that enables home buyers to connect by telephone with real estate agents with the click of a mouse.

The technology allows home buyers to dial up a real estate agent by clicking on a property listing when they are surfing the Web. The service also delivers business analytics that enable real estate firms to better target local advertising and improve the online sales experience, according to the announcement.

The Click-and-Connect system places calls to the home buyer and agent, connects the phone calls as soon as they are answered, and protects the privacy of both parties. The system keeps confidential all parties’ phone numbers, according to a company description of the service. Calls are automatically announced as Click-and-Connect calls when each party answers their phone.

“Click-and-Connect is a strategic bridge between a real estate firm’s online and offline sales channels. By enabling high value home buyers to immediately reach an agent, Click-and-Connect helps agents close more sales and increases customer loyalty,” said Pete Pattullo, PrivateTel CEO.

Real estate firms operating their own Web sites can install Click-and-Connect with no equipment or software to purchase. The service can be integrated with any Web site, used in a Web-connected desktop application, managed online and linked with customer databases. The software lets individual agents direct calls to their home, business or mobile phone number.

PrivateTel offers privacy technologies in the converging markets of telecommunications and the Internet. PrivateTel’s Web-integrated telecommunications services provide tools for social networking, dating, e-commerce, and personal ads.

Other companies, such as Ingenio, also offer click-to-call technologies.

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