Reaching the digital consumer Innovating through technology How does a 100-year-old company stay relevant? Royal LePage has tackled this challenge through constantly innovating with new technology and improved marketing approaches. We seek out and evaluate the newest products and trends to ensure our network is equipped to offer the best service possible to their clients. Even in its early years, Royal LePage was a company that thrived on innovation. Our founder, A.E. LePage, was well-known for his ability to think of new ways to get his business noticed. From building a house in a day, to filming and screening stately homes and cottage-country resorts, A.E. LePage didn’t shy away from a little showmanship to generate business buzz. Today, Royal LePage’s goal is to help consumers access the resources they need to educate themselves and to put them in touch with an agent who will make sure the home buying or selling experience is a positive one. Our most effective way to deliver on this goal is through technology and its innovations. When you think of technologies that are important in your business life, you will undoubtedly think of the Internet. Over the last two decades, the Internet has
become so vital to human interaction that the United Nations recently declared it a basic human right. Consider the timeline below that illustrates some of the ways Royal LePage has demonstrated its technological leadership. Mobile Do you know where your cell phone is? Chances are it’s within reach. Mobile devices have become the indispensable all-in-one gadgets that people used to dream of owning. An ever increasing number of people have web browsers on their mobile devices and by 2014, mobile Internet traffic is expected to surpass desktop Internet traffic. It has already happened in India, when in May, 2012, mobile Internet usage edged past desktop Internet traffic*. Mobile is always considered when Royal LePage develops new products and services for agents and clients. We work to ensure that our sites are attractive and easily navigated on small screens that often use touch instead of keyboards or a mouse. Our efforts helped us win a Horizon Interactive Award in the Mobile Website category. And, mobile devices offer other features like cameras, calendars, directories and
Leading the way with technology • www.royallepage.ca: First national real estate website in Canada • Mobile version of the website • www.rlpintranet.com: Launch of an Intranet for Royal LePage’s network of agents and brokers
• first to offer virtual reality home tours
1995 – 2000
• Integration of listing data with the Canadian Real Estate Association and with the Greater Montreal Real Estate Board (agents need only enter their listings once for them to appear on both www.mls.ca and www.royallepage.ca)
2001 – 2004
• Royal LePage University: Online technology courses that, in some
• ClientClick: Simple and cost-effective agent
provinces, are recognized as continuing education courses • Hands-on technology training for agents
• Royal LePage Marketing Centre: High-quality,
websites
template-based marketing materials for print and online powered by Imprev • GIS interactive listing maps and neighbourhood data
22 | Royal LePage Leading Edge | 2013
