John R. Wood Web Site Wins Top Award Naples, FL (PRWEB) November 11, 2005 -- John R. Wood, Inc. Realtors® recently captured first place in Florida Realtor Magazine’s company Web site contest for the second year in a row and the fourth time in the contest’s history.
The award commended the Wood firm for the site’s innovative tools and information for consumers and associates. “We keep adding new features to our site, and we’re always trying to drive traffic there by promoting it in our marketing,” says Phil Wood, president of the Naples-based company. “It’s definitely meeting our company’s goals.”
The Wood site, www.JohnRWood.com, was also named Top Broker Web Site in Florida by the magazine in 2001, 2002 and 2004. The site offers helpful real estate tools for community, subdivision and home searches. In the past year, the Wood firm added a copyrighted feature developed by its in-house team called “My HomeLook Account.” Consumers can create specific searches, save their criteria and be notified of any new listings.
“Buyers can search for communities or subdivisions in any area of Southwest Florida,” said Wood. “This tool gives them a summary of how many listings there are in each of those categories, and they can rate those listings using an icon. It’s like an expanded spreadsheet.”
The John R. Wood site also has a link on its home page to www.TeeUpFlorida.com, the company’s “Golf Guide” site. Consumers can search any country club and get detailed information on the course as well as club members, and see what properties are for sale within that golf community. “Buyers can also search for clubs that meet specific criteria,” adds Wood. “It’s an important part of our service.”
Florida Realtor judges Randy Eagar, Dan Gooder Richard, Allen Hainge, and Ira Serkes praised the site’s clear, uncluttered design, in-depth information and multiple search features.
“It has excellent content, professionally displayed, with cascading menus for ease of use,” says Eagar. Richard liked the lead capture forms for buyers and sellers, as well as mapping capabilities included with the property search functions.
The John R. Wood site has also received high marks for its associate-oriented features, such as recruitment sections for both new and experienced associates.
According to Wood, approximately 10 to 15 people per week are taking the company’s interactive real estate simulator test for potential associates. “This simulator puts people into typical situations and asks them how they would respond,” he adds. “They get a score and a rating as to their likelihood of success in real estate. It helps them decide, and it helps us as well.”
John R. Wood associates can easily access the site to receive the latest market and company information as well as various sales and marketing tools. The company also uses its site as a model to create semi-customized sites for its associates that retain the overall John R. Wood design and features. “We know that our agents appreciate that functionality,” says Wood, “since the Web is such an important part of everyone’s business today.”
The site was built through a cohesive effort of RBD Studios, the John R. Wood Web Services Department, and the firm’s intranet designer, Dave Lowery.
John R. Wood, Realtors is one of the oldest major real estate firms in the area. The company has six offices in Naples and Bonita Springs, with 300 Realtors and another 200 management and support staff. John R. Wood Realtors is a member of The Realty Alliance, Leading Estates of the World, Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, and Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, a global network of 650 firms specializing in relocation and representing $380 billion in home sales in 2004. The firm specializes in the luxury residential markets and coastal communities located in Southwest Florida, as well as upscale golf course neighborhoods within the area.