CORRECTION: This original version of this article contained an error regarding the acquisition cost of SharperAgent and has been updated with a correction. Market Leader reported that it acquired SharperAgent on Aug. 1, 2011, for $1.75 million in cash and assumed liabilities of about $400,000.
Market Leader Inc. has landed a two-year contract worth at least $2.55 million to provide a marketing and customer relationship management (CRM) platform for Century 21 Real Estate agents.
The marketing platform will be provided free to 60,000 U.S.-based Century 21 agents, and include integrated components for CRM, lead follow-up, marketing design for print and email, and office dashboards.
Kirkland, Wash.-based Market Leader said that it expects to generate additional revenue from an enhanced version of the platform that it will make available to "high-end producers at a small premium."
Similar deals with other franchisors under the Realogy Corp. umbrella may be in the works. In a regulatory filing, Market Leader said it has entered into a master agreement with Realogy Services Group LLC to "broadly define business terms" governing any "software-as-a-service" agreements with not only Century 21, but other Realogy affiliates.
Realogy’s brands and business units include Coldwell Banker, ERA, Sotheby’s International Realty, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.
Last year, Market Leader helped Keller Williams roll out eEdge, an integrated lead management, contact management, marketing and transaction management platform.
Market Leader has said it will receive a minimum of $10 million from Keller Williams during the initial five-year term of the eEdge agreement. The company expects to generate additional revenue by "upselling" premium software and services to Keller Williams agents, who pay $15 a month for eEdge.
Founded in 1999 as a business based on the lead generation site HouseValues.com, Market Leader rebranded in 2008 as a provider of marketing, lead management and other tools for real estate franchisors, brokerages and agents.
Market Leader acquired Denver-based SharperAgent and its 30,000-strong customer base in August for $1.75 million. Market Leader said the deal would help it develop an integrated software platform providing lead generation, customer relationship management, social media and blogging integration, online and offline marketing, agent and office websites, and other tools.
A month later, Market Leader bought RealEstate.com and its network of more than 250 real estate broker customers from two subsidiaries of Tree.com for $8.25 million.
A number of companies that operate listing portals to generate leads for real estate brokers and agents now offer CRM tools.
Realtor.com operator Move Inc. has provided CRM and marketing tools to Realtors for years through its Top Producer Systems division.
Last August, Homes.com operator Dominion Enterprises launched Homes Connect, an integrated CRM and marketing platform with a customizable "gadget" dashboard inspired by iGoogle that allows users to monitor their leads, manage a to-do list, and keep an eye on Twitter.
Homes.com recently announced an online marketing partnership with Re/Max in which Homes.com will power Remax.com website and mobile apps. Homes.com and Re/Max will collaborate in marketing a Re/Max co-branded version of Homes Connect.
Last month, Zillow quietly introduced a free contact management platform.
