KnowYourPro.org: Where Business Gets a Little More Personal
December 9th, 2009 Author: Danny Thornton www.positiverealestateprofessionals.com
For you that have yet to experience http://www.knowyourpro.org, I hope to change that with this interview. I had the opportunity to sit down with Jennifer Monastero and Paul Mondello and ask them some pointed questions concerning KnowYourPro. I think that you will find it interesting in what they had to say. I first met Jen well over 2 years ago on ActiveRain. At the time, we were both in the mortgage business. With that said, that was not the only common thread that brought us together, but that is a different story for another time. So, let’s get started with this interview.
How did the two of you meet?
Jen – “In the Zillow.com forum. Paul and I were both very active on the discussion boards, especially on the mortgage side.”
How did the idea come about?
Paul – “In an email exchange group with David Gibbons of Zillow, Jen had an idea for zillow.com’s forum. It started with the notion of giving the consumers a choice of local lenders, and transformed into a more involved ‘dating website’ concept… David basically said he dug the idea but blew it off. A week or two later, I mentioned to Jen that I really liked the idea, and that we should do something with it. After much toiling and perfecting, the concept grew to what you see today.”
Who is involved?
Jen – “Myself, Paul and about 11 founding KYP’ers are committed to creating a successful website. The web designer, Andy DiGuiseppi, is local to me and I have worked with him in the past. He exceeded our expectations on knowyourpro.org.”
Where do you see the site evolving to?
Paul – “The virtual Yellow Pages. Every professional should be listed on the site- there is no reason not to be. We expect it to evolve into an amazing network and database with plenty of free information and great networking going on 24/7.”
What can consumers expect to see in the future?
Jen – “A much more tight knit site that is easy to maneuver. We think knowyourpro.org is a very consumer-friendly site as it is, but we need to have a comprehensive search function to really bring everything together.”
What types of professionals do you have?
Jen – Currently most are mortgage pros but there are also Realtors®, lawyers, psychotherapists, and we even have a pilates instructor. It really runs the gamut, which is great.”
What makes you different from other sites?
Paul – Well, a lot…but most specifically we have a search feature which matches consumer to professionals based on likes, dislikes, personalities, hobbies, geographic location etc. It offers a whole new perspective to searching for a professional.
What does the site offer to professionals?
Jen – A chance to interact and network with other professionals and also the opportunity to grow their own business by way of fostering relationships with potential clients. We created this site with the consumer in mind, but also know what professionals really want. We think this gives us the ability to keep everyone happy
Lori Cain, Realtor
Chinowth & Cohen Realtors
phone: 918.852.5036
web: www.LoriCain.com
