UrbanIndo Launched Two New Features to Differentiate Itself From its Competitors

Since its launch in November 2011, this is the second time we will have discussed about UrbanIndo, an online property website based in Bandung. In addition to providing service for users of the news list of properties that can be bought or rented, this time it also launched two new features.

The development of this feature, said Arip Tirta, UrbanIndo founder, is an attempt to create tools for consumers to obtain property information more quickly and thorough. Tirta said that UrbanIndo wants to help the user to be able to analyze all the data UrbanIndo held so they can make the right decision to buy/sell a property.

Its two new features that are already available and accessible to the consumers include Proyek Nusantara and Carikan Saya Property. Proyek Nusantara allows user to view data property registered in UrbanIndo directly on the map. There is an icon for the area where the property is located, when we click it, details of the property will appear.

Carikan Saya Properti or Find Me a Property provides a way of communication between buyers and sellers. With this feature, buyers can submit their dream property and its characteristics and sellers/real estate agents can help by offering their property via UrbanIndo.

Tirta also said that these features are provided to differentiate UrbanIndo from other sites by trying to find new and better ways for consumers to view and sell property. For example, the Proyek Nusantara feature. For this feature, Tirta said, “This is our attempt to change how Indonesian people search properties online. Instead of looking at hundreds of posts manually with rigid and minimum filter, we use the map as a primary filter and other filters to enable user finds their dream property. With Proyek Nusantara, user can easily filter the property list that appears by clicking, moving or shifting the map.”

Currently, UrbanIndo has over 6000 posts and 32,000 visitors, on average users visit seven pages and spend at least eight minutes. UrbanIndo officially launched in November 2011.

If we cite data from this article, based on Biro Pusat Statistik (BPS) or Central Bureau of Statistics, Indonesia today needs 13 million more houses (the article was written in Oktober 2011). Property search will certainly be an opportunity in itself, considering the growth of internet users that gives an opportunity to search via internet.

Tirta also said that even though currently there are some good and popular property sites in Indonesia, Urban Indo still believes that it can be different from those other sites. Aside from that, it will also have a distinct business model. Tirta said that they would come out with new and innovative business model. It is interesting to continue watching this service. To be frank, I am quite bored with the look of the online property sites that are only in the form of listing, there's plenty enough already, there should be other services that provide a different experience.

I agree with Tirta that the property market has become a sexy sector. Although I have no data in details, but as I have written before, in my city alone, new housing estates are sprouting like mushrooms. The growth of the middle class as well as those who still need homes continue to increase. I've said some time ago that for online property sites, aside from the database which is the major asset, ways to access information and features can be developed in more interesting ways, not just listing. How UrbanIndo does it is quite interesting, it's makes searching easy and the look is attractive. Unfortunately, this new feature has not been perfected yet. The site sometimes tend to blink when browsing the Proyek Nusantara facility.

Aside from these two features that are ready to use, UrbanIndo has also set up another facility: blog and expansion of UrbanIndo’s main page.