Challenge
RE/MAX’s 2,400+ physical locations across Europe are hard to miss, but the franchise aims to boost its visibility in online searches as well.
Solution
With Uberall, RE/MAX Europe has found the ideal software solution for centralized listings and review management.
Results
RE/MAX Europe manages business listings and customer reviews across five different markets on a single platform, ensuring a consistent and compelling online presence.
Soaring to the Top of Online Search with the Hot Air Balloon
Most people recognize the red, white, and blue hot air balloon, but not all of them know what the name RE/MAX stands for: real estate to the maximum by bringing independently entrepreneurial agents together in a network. Gail and Dave Liniger launched this vision in the USA in 1973, and within five years, there were already over 100 offices with around 1,000 agents across North America.
From the USA to Europe
In 1994, the RE/MAX model made its way to Europe, but the expansion was far from easy: there were no established real estate networks, consumer information, or cross-border property databases. Despite these challenges, Frank J. Polzler and Walter Schneider founded RE/MAX Europe, and the dynamic market with a high homeownership rate—initially in Spain, Israel, and Italy—proved them right.
From Offices to Online Search
As a publicly traded and family-owned company, RE/MAX is now one of the largest real estate networks in the world, with 8,300 offices in about 110 countries. Since the company is highly visible on site, RE/MAX Europe started focusing more on creating a unified online presence. The goal is to leverage not only real estate expertise but also marketing skills to create a unified and impactful digital footprint.
Turning Real Estate Expertise into Online Marketing Mastery
With around 2,400 independent offices across 40 countries, RE/MAX Europe benefits from significant brand recognition. Despite the similarities between locations, though, their online profiles vary greatly. A review of Google Business Profiles—crucial for local search rankings—reveals that location information, such as name, address, and phone number (NAP data), as well as service descriptions are often incomplete; and the images of poor quality.
Another issue is that offices no longer part of the network are not always removed, due to the lack of centralized profile management by RE/MAX, which not only confuses customers but also dilutes brand identity.
In terms of online marketing, the RE/MAX network is rather fragmented: it essentially comprises many independent entities that make their own decisions regarding marketing efforts. Tools and technologies are determined by local affiliates. However, during a management meeting, Christoph Heimel—back then the Head of Digital Innovation at RE/MAX Europe—introduced the idea of a centralized data management platform: Uberall, which was soon implemented across five countries.
Location, Location, Location: RE/MAX Focuses on Local SEO
RE/MAX Europe connected with Uberall through a bit of a "detour" via RE/MAX Switzerland, who referred the contact to Christoph Heimel— who had prior experience with local SEO. Coincidence? Doubtful, but to cut a long story short:
With Uberall Listings, RE/MAX Europe centrally manages its business profiles across five countries to maximize brand recognition.
With Uberall Reviews, RE/MAX responds to reviews, engaging with customers using a unified voice.
“Choosing Uberall was a no-brainer. The value for money is excellent, and the solution is specifically tailored to our biggest pain point: ensuring a consistent online presence across all locations.”
As Head of Digital Innovation, Christoph Heimel was responsible for the internal implementation of software solutions across nearly 40 countries, supporting the digital transformation together with his team. In his new role as Director Franchise Sales, he continues this responsibility, having already rolled out the Uberall platform in five markets through swift coordination with regional decision-makers.
The primary focus is on listings management, with the goal of making all online entries complete (regarding location data) and consistent (with the corporate brand); including Google Posts. This approach strengthens the company’s position against e-businesses that have increasingly pressured the industry in recent years.
Another new priority in RE/MAX’s online marketing is review management, which previously heavily depended on the local digital marketing maturity at each location. Going forward, reviews will be managed with partial automation to streamline processes and improve efficiency.
“Until now, we managed reviews manually at each location. With Uberall, we can create synergies and simultaneously strengthen trust in our brand.”
Finding The Right Software for Multi-Location Marketing – Just Like RE/MAX
Although RE/MAX Europe wasn’t actively looking for a software solution, the company found the perfect partner for local SEO in Uberall. The improved online presence is making the company not only more visible, but also more appealing to potential customers and franchisees, as “a well-established brand is easier to market”.
In the five markets where Uberall has been implemented, the first successes are already evident—and we look forward to sharing concrete results soon.
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