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Listing marketing and tour software company DirectOffer will help generate business for the members of the Staten Island MLS, Inman has learned. The mobile application company announced in a July 9 press release it was selected as a partner for the 2,300-agent organization, which will benefit from the software’s ability to audibly narrate property descriptions in 57 languages.
The New York City region is one of the nation’s most language-diverse, and Staten Island will use up to 10 to accommodate its market.
DirectOffer provides three primary products: DO Audio Tours, Interest Grid and the eponymous DirectOffer, a search experience that integrates the other two. InterestGrid, which tracks hard leads for a listing and DO Audio Tours, a vocal description solution, can each be purchased independently of the parent app.
“At SIMLS, our subscribers serve a diverse set of clients, and we are committed to providing innovative tools that empower them to make homeownership a possibility for more people,” said Sandy Krueger, president and CEO of Staten Island MLS, in the press release. “DO AudioTour’s multi-language and closed captioning capabilities ensure that our subscribers’ property listings are reaching the broadest audience while supporting our ADA and DEI initiatives.”
DirectOffer, and its industry colleague Lundy, provide the industry with a valuable and long-neglected resource with which to empower visually- and hearing-impaired homebuyers. The apps can greatly increase the ability of those with such challenges to work independently.
Any listing entered into the Staten Island MLS will be automatically translated by DirectOffer’s AI into an audio tour. The software once allowed agents to manually create marketing voiceovers, but the application of artificial intelligence does it much faster and in greater volume, allowing for enterprise-level installations.
Audio descriptions can be shared outside of the app through third-party marketing platforms, social media, email campaigns and text messaging.
DirectOffer was reviewed by Inman in 2021, earning high marks for its unique ability to balance an agent value proposition alongside a consumer-minded search solution.
“DirectOffer’s InterestGrid is a simple, dynamic scale that graphs the number of pre-offers submitted according to price range on whatever listing users are viewing. Brevity is the soul of wit, and this subtle colored graphic communicates a lot in a little space, reminding buyers of the competition and sellers of what’s resonating with the market,” the review stated.
The company partnered with lockbox technology stalwart SentriLock last month and, a year ago, inked a similar MLS partnership in Arizona.
Kathleen Lappe, founder and CEO and DirectOffer, said in the release that partnerships like that with Staten Island MLS give more freedom to the consumer, allowing them to search in a way that best helps them find a home.
“In addition to offering a better home shopping experience, homeownership will be more accessible to the groups who often are the most disadvantaged when it comes to buying a home,” Lappe said. “The Staten Island Multiple Listing Service is leading the way in expanding the MLS value proposition.”
