Homestore.com to Help Build New Markets for Home Builder

Homestore.com in Thousand Oaks, which operates a network of real estate Web sites, announced an agreement to develop Web technology for Champion Enterprises, the world’s largest home builder.

Homestore.com will develop customized online marketing and training tools for Champion’s manufactured-housing retailers. The deal is worth at least $11 million, paid to Homestore.com over three years, and could reach $15 million depending on the number of participating Champion retailers.

Stuart Wolff, chairman and chief executive of Homestore.com, said his company will help “modernize the marketing practices of the manufactured-housing industry, which has a market share of over 25% of all new homes sold.”

Homestore.com and its family of Web sites will provide the technology to enable Champion-owned and independent retailers to market their products online, help generate and process leads and receive online training in Web-based sales and marketing.

Once the technology is completed, Wolff said, consumers will have online access to more than 1,000 Champion retailers, who will in turn be able to provide prompt responses and detailed marketing information to consumers.