Move.com (and its partners) will win as online advertising goes local

I recently did a post talking about the big market potential for local online advertising and how it will be different from national search. For example, companies with "feet on the street," such as AutoTrader.com, may be big beneficiaries.

Well, another big beneficiary could be Move.com. Actually, the company has expanded its coverage -- including the whole real estate cycle, such as buying a home, financing, moving, etc.

But will Google or other search engines beat back Move.com?  Probably not.  Move.com has an exclusive agreement with the nationwide Multiple Listing Service. In fact, Move.com has more than three million listings.

Moreover, Move.com has partnerships with AOL (a division of Time Warner (TWX)), MSN (part of Microsoft (MSFT) and Yahoo! (YHOO) for distribution.
 
I talked to Move.com's EVP of corporate development, Allan Merrill, who believes more money will come into the online real estate market.  "Consumers have moved online, with more than 77% of buyers saying they used the Internet as their primary research media," he said. "But buoyant market conditions over the past several years have not been conducive to stimulating change in marketing behaviors. That is changing as markets slow and both buyers and sellers expect to see more online. Move surveyed thousands of consumers. Buyers want to see more photos and virtual tours, and better mapping and more neighborhood information."

In other words, as the online ad market continues to grow, it's not just the big players who will get the spoils. Increasingly, niche sites – like Move.com – will bring more to the table and have a chance to ride the growth wave.  

Link:

Interview with Move.com's EVP of corporate development, Allan Merrill