Laguna Niguel-based Internet real estate brokerage eHomes.com Inc. has opened its first brick-and-mortar office in Tustin, the first step in an offline expansion that could see the Internet startup open more than 10 offices in the next 18 months.
The first store, a 2,100-square-foot outlet in the Tustin Market Place, is the prototype for future expansions, according to Avi Chalid, the Israeli-born real estate entrepreneur and president and owner of eHomes.com. Chalid said he expects to open two additional stores in Orange County, then move into Los Angeles County with three stores.
From there, Chalid said he’ll focus on opening three more stores in San Diego County before heading north to the Bay area. The total expansion is expected to cost a little more than $2 million, with funding coming from private sources, Chalid said.
“We have decided to conquer one area at a time,” he said. “By doing so, we go in one area and put our mark there and establish our market presence and market share. Then we go into another area.”
The move comes amid increased competition among online real estate ventures. Online rivals are springing up daily, while brick-and-mortar brokerages are launching their own virtual offices on the Web. Chalid said he hopes to combine the benefits of the Web with a real-world approach,sans the intimidation factor he believes many customers feel when they walk into a broker’s office.
Visitors to eHomes.com’s Tustin store can access the same online information as visitors to its Web site, Chalid said, but with agents on hand to help them.
“We have agents, but it’s more like a retail store with an Internet connection,” said Chalid, who has been a broker for more than 25 years, most recently with RE/MAX International Inc. on the East Coast. “All the information is there about the neighborhoods (they’re interested in). Consumers can walk in and get any information they want.”
The approach is an extension of the company’s philosophy on the Web, where customers can communicate in real time with customer-service personnel.
The storefronts include a bar where soft drinks, espresso and other refreshments will be served,all part of the effort to create a more social atmosphere, Chalid said.
(Chalid said his concept has drawn the interest of Starbucks Corp. officials, who he said have approached him about some sort of co-merchandising arrangement in future stores.)
His approach to this latest venture was born out of a recent experience, Chalid said.
“I went to Palm Springs one day and said I was looking for a condominium,” he said. “The lady came back with a stack (of listings) an inch thick and said, ‘Go tour on your own.’ ”
In addition to the storefronts, the company is in talks with mall owners about opening eHomes.com information booths, Chalid said. n
