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German search engine optimization (SEO) platform SISTRIX named Homes.com as one of the 100 fastest growing domains in the United States. The CoStar Group-owned portal was the only real estate site selected for IndexWatch in 2023. This IndexWatch focuses on the domains that have seen the most organic visibility growth and decline on Google.com.
Andy Florence
“We are honored that the significant growth and recognition that Homes.com experienced throughout 2023 was recognized in SISTRIX’s IndexWatch 2023,” said Andy Florence, Founder and CEO of CoStar Group. said in a statement Friday. “We set out to create a platform with the highest quality content about neighborhoods, schools and parks that would benefit homebuyers and all agents.”
SISTRIX measured a total of 100 million domains against 100 million keywords on Google. Nearly 2,500 of the domains included in this list were in the United States. The list is divided into four categories that measure the domains that have experienced the greatest increase or decrease in absolute visibility and absolute growth rate.
Homes.com's index score (which SISTRIX calls visibility points) increased from 20.94 in February 2023 to 43.54 in January 2024.
“This increased recognition is a testament not only to the quality of our products, but also to the quality of our teams who consistently create the best user experience,” said Florence.
The SISTRIX listing adds another layer to the months-long traffic battle between Homes.com and Realtor.com.
In October, CoStar Group announced that Homes.com had replaced Realtor.com as the nation's second-largest housing portal. According to CoStar Group, Homes.com's monthly unique visitors jumped from 46.3 million in August to 100 million in September, a whopping 117 percent change. Competitors questioned Homes.com's triple-digit growth and claimed that CoStar was inflating the numbers through heavy paid advertising.
At Inman Connect New York, Florence and Realtor.com CEO Damian Eales addressed the traffic drama in their respective sessions on the conference's main stage. Eels stopped calling Florence a liar and instead compared the CEO's traffic complaint to a student's “marking.” [their] own homework. ”
Still, while upholding the legitimacy of Homes.com's traffic, Florance said the next round of statistics, expected to be released during CoStar Group's fourth quarter results, will be just as unbelievable to competitors as the last. He hinted that it might become something that doesn't exist.
“[We use] Google Analytics is widely accepted as the gold standard,” he said. “It's how Realtor.com has reported its numbers for the past 10 years, it's how Zillow has reported its numbers for the past 10 years, it's how Redfin has reported it.”
“We cannot lie,” he added. “If I lie about the numbers on a public company's report, I'll go to prison four times as long as I would spend shooting someone in the head on the street. Public companies make these things up. It does not mean.”
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