SAN JOSE, CA—Move, Inc., a leader in online real estate, has acquired Doorsteps, a website providing technology tools and resources for home buyers. Move says the acquisition of Doorsteps better enables it to connect consumers with their perfect homes and with tools, knowledge and professionals to achieve their home-ownership goals.

"At Move, our mission is to empower people to love where they live," said Steve Berkowitz, chief executive officer of Move. "Central to this strategy is our belief that consumers are at the heart of the home-buying process. Doorsteps' human and holistic approach in providing home buyers with the content, tools and professional advisers needed in the process aligns perfectly with Move's vision and existing offerings."

Doorsteps is designed to solve many major issues faced by stakeholders in the home-buying process:

• Buyers were often forced to make decisions they didn't understand simply
  because a thorough and easy-to-understand resource didn't exist.
  Doorsteps educates and empowers them in a well-designed, visual and
  streamlined way to equip them for home ownership from start to finish.

• Agents require help connecting with ready, qualified buyers within the
  new digital landscape. Doorsteps provides a shared online workspace
  between buyers and agents, resulting in smarter lead generation and
  matching.

• Loan officers' early involvement in the buying process ensures they can
  guide clients to the best loan options and financial services to help
  them -- well before closing on a home. Service providers are finding it
  more difficult than ever to reach the right people, in the right way and
  at the right time. Doorsteps offers an in-context, transparent way to
  share their products, services or points of view with a qualified
  consumer group.

"We founded Doorsteps to streamline and simplify the way people get prepared to buy and own homes," said Michele Serro, Doorsteps' founder and CEO. "Our dream is to make it easier for consumers to decide whether to buy, how to get ready faster and then make the smartest possible choices along the way. As a result of this partnership, our ability to do that has been magnified. Move shares our vision and excitement and will ultimately help us serve more consumers."

Doorsteps provides agents a unique solution designed to humanize the process of connecting professionals with their clients. Unlike traditional customer relationship management, which focuses mainly on "lead management" and "sales pipelines," Doorsteps uses technology to facilitate, build and enhance the collaborative relationships between buyers, agents, lenders and service providers. The journey-based experience -- and the rich data it collects -- should translate into far-higher conversion rates than old lead-generation tools, which typically focus on quantity over quality.

Subsequent to the acquisition, the Doorsteps team will join Move as employees, continuing to expand the experience and integrate with existing Move offerings. "We saw unique talent and vision in Michele and her team," Berkowitz said. "They are addressing the process holistically, consistent with our belief that everyone benefits when we help agents spend less time with technology and more time with their customers."

Move, Inc., operates: realtor.com, the official website of the National Association of REALTORS; Move.com, a leading destination for new homes and rental listings, moving, home and garden, and home finance; ListHub, the leading syndicator of real estate listings; Moving.com; SeniorHousingNet; SocialBios; TigerLead; and TOP PRODUCER Systems. Move is based in San Jose.

Doorsteps is a tool that enhances the relationship between buyers, agents, lenders and service providers. The site currently offers a solution for buyers, lenders, agents and service providers with future plans to also serve sellers. Doorsteps was founded in 2012 by Michele Serro, a former design consultant fascinated with finding better, more human-centered ways to harness the internet to support people through major life events. For more information, visit www.doorsteps.com.