“Alexa, Open REALTOR.ca”

Consumers are leaning on smart home technology to simplify their lives, with about 15% of Canadian households already owning at least one smart home speaker.  By 2022, it’s expected that number will rise to 55% of households.

Have you joined the club yet? We have.

What started as an innovative side project for a couple of passionate REALTOR.ca developers turned into an exciting opportunity to create a new way for REALTORS® to connect with prospective clients. Consumers can now use voice search to find nearby open houses with the  REALTOR.ca skill for Amazon Alexa.

Tip: No smart speaker? No problem! Even if you don’t have an Amazon Echo, simply download the Amazon Alexa app and enable the REALTOR.ca skill for Alexa to use on your phone.

What is an Alexa skill?

Skills add new capabilities that allow you to create a more personalized experience with your Amazon Echo, Fire TV, and other Alexa devices. Skills let you receive flash briefings, order food, request a ride, track your fitness, and more.

Our skill is the first in Canada to include national listing information for open houses, so we guess you can say we decided to “go big or go home.”

And this is only the beginning.

We’re committed to reviewing feedback that improves and enhances the functionality of our skill in order to continuously deliver on our promise: to increase exposure of your listings and generate qualified leads.

Here’s how the skill works:

Graphic showing how Alexa skill works

Why Amazon?

Amazon has taken the smart home speaker market by storm as the current market leader. In fact, the Echo Dot was the top-selling product on Amazon during the 2018 holiday season.

As a team of product managers, developers, and business analysts, we know first-hand not all ideas make the cut. However, one thing is for certain: Alexa is here to stay. We’re excited to be an early adopter in this market to see how it can help deliver more value to REALTORS®.

Learn more about the “voice revolution” here.

Try out the REALTOR.ca skill for Amazon Alexa today with these simple steps:

  1. Download the Amazon Alexa app and enable the REALTOR.ca skill for Alexa.
  2. Just Ask: “Alexa, open REALTOR.ca” and answer a few short questions.
  3. Hear something you like? Listings can also be texted to your phone.

Help us spread the word! Share this blog on your social media pages to help your clients find nearby open houses in a fun way.

*The REALTOR.ca skill for Amazon Alexa is currently only available in English.

As a former Business Systems Analyst, Keyur Modi supported the creation, development and enhancement of CREA’s IT-based mobile and web services specifically REALTOR.ca’s suite of products by soliciting, confirming and translating business requirements into functional and technical design documentations. Keyur is a foodie and enjoys exploring different cuisines at various restaurants. In his spare time, he can be found socializing and spending time with his friends and family.


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