Calling itself “the country’s first Internet franchise,” Americorp Marketing Inc. (AMI) said it plans to launch a site for real
estate and community business advertising that will be fully operational by
the spring of 1999.
Unlike other franchise companies that maintain Web sites to promote their
businesses, the Americorp site is itself a franchise vehicle, the company
said. The site will eventually contain nearly 500 exclusive, online local
franchises, which are being offered through Americorp Realty Network, the
franchise program of AMI.
Americorp Realty Network is a home-based Internet franchise combining online
real estate listings with local advertising from related businesses such as
lenders, attorneys, engineers, insurance companies, contractors, movers,
retailers and others.
The turnkey program will provide franchisees with training, field support and
computer equipment, including hardware, software and peripherals such as
cellular phone and fax machine, the company said. Realtors and community
advertisers will benefit from dedicated screens showcasing individual listings
and services, with photographs and links connecting customers directly to
their e-mail and Web site addresses.
“Americorp Realty Network is the first franchise program to harness the power
and potential of the Internet. This is the next frontier in franchise
marketing,” said Anthony Biancaniello, President of AMI. “We expect to
completely revolutionize real estate marketing in the next century, much the
way that television impacted consumer advertising in the second half of the
20th century.”
“The franchisee gets an incredibly simple turnkey operation with a strictly
limited financial investment,” he said. “Realtors and other local advertisers
get direct access to prime prospects and cost-efficiency significantly below
local newspaper and yellow pages rates. And customers get to pre-screen
property listings across a range of criteria, without having to travel to each
and every location. They can pick and choose which properties they want to
see, and will also have direct access to an array of support services in the
area.”
www.americorp.net is currently operational
on a limited demonstration basis, to introduce prospective franchisees and
advertisers to the program.
