When it comes to personalization in real estate, how “sick” is your website?

I thought about this the other day while I downloaded an app on my smartphone. There’s a major underlying shift taking place with consumers.

Take iPhone apps for example. Okay, you might enjoy photography apps, someone else might like games and someone else might prefer weight loss apps.

The point is, you don’t just get a phone with a camera – you get to personalize that phone for your lifestyle.

Same with Netflix – watch one movie, Netflix will show you a dozen more just like it, some very obscure, but ALL related to the type of movies you watch.

Buy something from Amazon. Heck, just look at products on Amazon and they will send you suggestions based on your tastes.

Sneakers. Those things you throw on your feet that once came in two colors –black and white.

At NikeiD, you can create your own sneaker with your choice of colors, soles, flywire (whatever that is) laces, and even whether you want them to glow in the dark.

One customer was so impressed with his made-to-order Nikes that he exclaimed “this is the sickest shoe in the world.” By now, hopefully you know that in the slang of the young, “sick” is a good thing.

So what does all this mean?

Businesses are getting very, very good at enabling consumers to customize products to their individual desires.

This is the era of personalization.

Which brings us to real estate.

How can you capitalize on this trend?

One way is with lifestyle preferences. The Lifestyle Search Engine and IDX SpatialMatch is just the tool to provide that service.

As you know, home buyers have needs that go beyond just a house. They all have individual preferences in schools, where to shop, where to work and where to play.

So, most real estate companies will have a link on their site – area schools. Ho hum. That’s like wearing Keds black and white sneakers.

What if you took it from this angle? What if you offered a personalized lifestyle service that will help you match a property with ALL of a buyers lifestyle preferences?

SpatialMatch can do this. The platform comes with an enormous neighborhood database containing millions of businesses, local features such as parks and yes, even hundreds of thousands of schools, public and private.

Find out what the buyer likes to do. You can then pull up a home they are considering, alongside an illustration of all the amenities they want within a certain distance radius.

Pile it on. The buyer, a guy, loves to golf. Show him the golf courses nearby. Then turn to the wife and ask her what she likes to do. Work out? No, problem, here are the fitness studios within a mile.

Restaurants – hospitals – schools – parks – banks, on and on. Whatever the preference.

Heck, they can play with the software themselves to add whatever they want to the lifestyle search.

I mean, come on, how cool is that? It’s like sitting in a restaurant and somebody showing you how you can order all your favorite things to eat.

I mean, come on, how personalized is that? In this age of custom apps, movies, clothes etc., you as a real estate professional are right there with the latest consumer trends and tools.

How would you like to be known as the “sickest” real estate broker or agent in town? Well, maybe not. Unless of course, it results in the sale of a million-dollar home and referrals to their gnarly friends…with money.

Either way, you certainly want to be known as the broker or agent who has the best tool on their web site that is tailored to meet the personalized needs of every customer.

For a tour of SpatialMatch in action, go to www.spatialmatch.com.