• by Karl Greenberg , May 11, 2007

Real estate firm Coldwell Banker is the exclusive sponsor of an Internet video series on HGTV.com, the home and garden Web site of the cable network.

The network has launched a broadband video package, "How to Improve the Value of Your Home," which are 10 mini-documentaries starring Brandie Malay, co-host of HGTV's "Hidden Potential" and also a star of "Designed to Sell," another HGTV series.

Each video outlines the steps that homeowners can take to raise the asking prices of their houses. The Parsippany, N.J.-based subsidiary of Realogy Corporation has integrated advertising messages, tools and its own content with the web site and videos.

"We believe strongly that video works," says Charlie Young, SVP, marketing for Coldwell Banker. He says coldwellbanker.com currently has over 40 videos, "many of them produced for us by HGTV." He added that the real estate company has had a long relationship with HGTV around the series "Designed to Sell."

"When this opportunity to partner with HGTV on their new webisodes came to us, we loved it. They clearly understand our goal ... there has been a noted shift in the real estate space over the last few years. The consumer now has upfront control. They are spending months online acclimating themselves to the buying and selling process."

Young says during this "infotainment" stage of home shopping consumers spend some leisure time online surfing listings and looking at real estate web sites.

"Our goal is to meet them during this stage and make Coldwell Banker a brand they come to learn from and trust. Then, when they are ready to actively enter the home buying and selling stage, they are well informed and prepared to work with one of our sales associates.

"HGTV.com has long been one of the sites where the consumer visits during the infotainment stage. By partnering with sites like HGTV, which are known fishing holes, we are able to efficiently generate traffic to coldwellbanker.com."

The "visitors' entrance" to each video is preceded by a 15-second Coldwell Banker spot and the coldwellbanker.com search engine, and search tools such as CB's home value estimator and find-an-agent offerings are integrated with the videos.

Young says Coldwell Banker has gotten over 17,000 inquiries so far about local offices and sales associates from the HGTV webisodes area. "This is our ultimate goal, to drive qualified traffic from our national portal, coldwellbanker.com, to the local franchisees. It is working."