Realty Butler Expands Into First U.S. City and Rebrands as AvenueHQ
Where technology booms, real estate typically follows. So why not combine the two?
Realty Butler, the Vancouver-based marketing firm for real estate agents, has rebranded to become AvenueHQ in conjunction with a launch into their first U.S. market, Seattle. This builds on the company’s $2.35 million in new funding that was secured late last year with the goal of bringing in help to expand into new cities, including U.S. markets. Bench co-founder Jordan Menashy also joined AvenueHQ as the new CRO late last year.
AvenueHQ currently serves a few major cities in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, making up some of the most lucrative real estate markets in Canada. Seattle is a natural expansion for the startup, as it is a tech hotbed that is constantly bringing in new residents.
Chris Troelstra is the co-founder and CEO of AvenueHQ explained how expanding into a new country may not be as difficult as imagined, as long as the product is sound.
“Having to market yourself without the experience or the time is an issue that real estate agents are facing whether they’re in Canada or the U.S.,” says Troelstra. “The value of having a team of experienced professionals save you time, remove stress, and help you grow your business will resonate with real estate agents whether they’re in Vancouver, Toronto, or Seattle.”
AvenueHQ helps realtors better manage the time they spend creating a digital presence. On average, an agent might spend around eight hours a week trying to market themselves online. AvenueHQ is a team of marketers, engineers and designers that help realtors stick out by handling website creation, social media advertising and newsletter maintenance.
“Our new brand emphasizes the value we’re placing on people and that’s what has led to the success in our expansion,” says Troelstra. “We’re talking to people, learning how their cities work, and building strategies that are becoming more effective with each new market. Real estate agents are sociable people so we’re finding success by being present in their community, especially through events and trade shows.”
The new branding is to help better express the expert team working behind the scenes for realtors. Realty Butler conjured a sense of just doing what is asked, while AvenueHQ confers that drive to go further.
The AvenueHQ team has grown rapidly since launch and has more than 40 staff working in Vancouver now serving clients all across North America. Troelstra and the team are planning even more expansion into the U.S. as they eye three new cities to move into by the end of 2018, with even more coming in 2019. The basis of expansion relies on city density and the ease of access to multiple listing services in new markets.