Suzanne Zinn Mueller
Move Inc., the operator of realtor.com, has hired Suzanne Zinn Mueller as senior vice president of industry relations. Mueller, having spent a decade with Coldwell Banker Bain in Seattle as a marketing executive, joined Move Inc. in December.
Mueller said in an interview with realtor.com that she is currently working on technologies that will drive consumer engagement and connections.
“Today, realtor.com is the fastest growing real estate services destination, and our visitors are more engaged when they visit our site,” Mueller said. “I’m excited about the direction we’re moving.”
Mueller said that as of this past September, realtor.com saw their year-over-year traffic grow by 43 percent. She said that she is also excited about two new features of realtor.com called “Agent Profiles” and “Real Ratings & Reviews.” According to realtor.com, the Agent Profiles feature, like a Facebook profile, will allow Realtors to generate referrals and recommendations, as well as let potential buyers know that they are members of the National Realtors Database System (NRDS). Real Ratings & Reviews will feature unfiltered reviews of agents, but only allows people who have completed a transaction with the agent to review them.
“We built these tools with the input of the industry, and they allow Realtors to take control of conversations that might already be taking place on channels like Yelp,” Mueller said. “The Agent Profile allows Realtors to put forward as complete a presence as possible for consumers as they make decisions about working with a Realtor.”
When asked about the biggest misconception about realtor.com, Mueller said that people tend to think of it as a portal, and they equate it with other services that may look similar.
“There is a big difference between realtor.com and its competitors,” she said. “That is our relationships with the National Association of Realtors and nearly 800 MLSs nationwide.”
Mueller also talked about the roots of realtor.com and its place in the industry.
“We have the highest coverage of [homes for sale], the most accurate data and the highest-quality leads,” she said. “This is really critical; it sets us apart, and it is going to get nothing but more important.”