rightmove.co.uk Best Optimised Portal

globaledge.co.uk’s list of the top 20 best optimised overseas property portals has just been released, with rightmove.co.uk taking out first place.
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XML2U links with themovechannel.com

XML2U, a data file generator that aims make adding and editing property portal listings easier, has teamed up with international property portal themovechannel.com.
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rethai.com Launches with Google Maps

A new Thai property portal has just been launched based around Google Maps.

rethai.com allows property owners, as well as agents and developers, to add listings after registering. The website’s search is based around Google Maps, allowing property hunters to search by property type, location, price and features. A search query displays matching listings on an aerial map, along with further details, contact information and an option to bookmark the listing.
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themovechannel.com Tops Overseas Portal List

International property portal themovechannel.com has topped globaledge.co.uk’s list of the top 20 best optimised overseas property portals.
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leadgalaxy.com Turns To Pay-Per-Lead

Real estate referral network and property marketplace leadgalaxy.com has re-launched and now allows users to bid for and buy qualified customer sales leads from a dedicated call centre, affiliated sites and property portals.
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Rightmove Overseas Joins AIPP

Rightmove Overseas has announced that it has joined the Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP), the trade body set up to promote professionalism and best practice in overseas property sales and marketing.
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Top 100 Global Property Portals?

globaledge.co.uk have released a top 100 list of the world’s property portals. Although the list is somewhat arbitrary, and the methodology focusses on SEO and the number of internal links to a portal, it’s a worth a look at the top twenty they came up with:
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Changes for UK Overseas Investors

British investment in the overseas property market is changing with the impact of the global financial crisis. UK investors are now looking to buy in different countries and revising their budgets in line with the decreased value of the British pound.
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themovechannel.com Acquires Lead Galaxy

UK and international property portal themovechannel.com has acquired Lead Galaxy.

Lead Galaxy is a lead generation company focused on increasing property sales for overseas property agents and developers. The company owns and operates a network of country specific property marketing web sites covering over 40 countries, under the “venture” brand (eg: moroccanventure.co.uk, germanyventure.co.uk, etc).

Under the deal, themovechannel.com will take over the overseas property website portfolio operated by Lead Galaxy.

Lead Galaxy was established in 2003 by Gerard Doyle and Michael Katz. Combining marketing and overseas property portal experience, the company focused on online marketing, particularly search engine marketing. In 2008 The Armarium Group Ltd invested in a minority stake of Lead Galaxy.

To date, Lead Galaxy has supplied a total of 101,159 real time web leads by email to agents.

The deal with themovechannel.com stands to create the world’s largest and most popular international property website, maximising the number and quality of leads generated.

“We can’t deny there has been a massive contraction in the real estate market and overseas property is not immune to that downturn. Through this consolidation themovechannel.com is able to maintain the benefits that both portals brought to agents while maintaining a lower overall cost of business,” says Gerard Doyle from Lead Galaxy, who told propertyportalwatch.com he will be taking a non-executive director roll at On the Move Ltd and helping with the transition of advertiser accounts across to the new unified platform.

Gerard says agents will find their online advertising streamlined, particularly for advertisers who maintained accounts with both Lead Galaxy and themovechannel.com.

“The increased volume of visitors and properties will allow property buyers to find properties that better match their needs, thus bettering their online experience and improving the quality of the leads that agents are receiving,” says Gerard. “As far as the international property marketing is concerned, this deal places themovechannel.com head and shoulders above the competition.”

The huge concentration of agents and properties in the one location will mean themovechannel.com will become the leader not only in property offerings but also in pure market reach.

The consolidated sites will be live today, Thursday 5 February at themovechannel.com. Lead Galaxy now begins the job of setting up, or merging, new accounts for their clients.

Portals Join Association of International Property Professionals

The Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP) is a non-profit organisation established in 2006 to increase consumer confidence when buying property abroad and to provide industry professionals with a united voice. It aims to improve the standards of professionalism in the international property market.

UK property portal homesgofast.com has just announced that it is the third property portal to be accepted as a member of AIPP. It joins existing portal members themovechannel.com and kyero.com, in the media category, which also includes Daily Mail Ltd, OPP – PFI Media Ltd and Real Estate TV Ltd.

homesgofast.com says it has over 180,000 international property listings and a range of related services. In a statement from the company announcing the AIPP membership, CEO Nicholas Marr said:

“We are delighted to be a part of an organisation that aims to improve standards of the overseas property industry. Our online platform at homesgofast.com is used by overseas property buyers and those promoting international real estate. It makes sense more than ever to help raise standards not only with overseas property agents but also with those in the business of promoting international real estate.”

Marr continued: ”It’s a fact that most buyers will use the internet first before contacting an agent and we believe the standards set out by AIPP should apply to the internet as with real estate professionals.”

Each member of the AIPP has been vetted and approved, and is required to have a minimum level of experience to qualify.

AIPP Chief Executive Paul Owen welcomed the portal’s membership stating:

“As well as agents and developers, the AIPP welcomes other professional companies from the international property market, including lawyers, banks, magazines and property portals. homesgofast.com has joined the AIPP and we welcome them into membership. We congratulate them on playing their part in our work to make the international property market a better and safer place for both consumers and those working in the industry.”

AIPP members agree to abide by AIPP’s professional Code of Conduct.

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