The UpTurn, Inc. is probably not a company you’ve heard of as frequently as Twitter, and that’s a good thing. It just recently became a publicly traded stock, and is already being compared to MySpace, Facebook, and other highly successful social networking sites.
The company’s founder, Jeff Eckman, a graduate of MIT’s Sloane Business School, is looking to put together what could also be described as the next eBay. TheUpturn.com will bring together a huge number of buyers, sellers, and everyone in between. It will represent a sophisticated amalgam of social networking and marketplace technology, all dedicated to the biggest single market in the country, real estate.
UpTurn, which has yet to go live although elements are being tested in a private beta release, is being designed to match buyers with sellers, and renters with landlords, in addition to providing a host of other services, in a unique and flexible way not currently available on the web.
There are already plenty of standard listing sites out there, but they all face a common problem. They all look pretty much the same, and, as a result, potential users simply don’t differentiate between them. Some people will list on one site, and some on another, leaving every site incomplete. Even the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) sites are limited, representing only sellers with agents. The UpTurn hopes to change all that by providing a user experience so compelling that it becomes the one central place that everyone goes to.
To accomplish this impressive goal, the company has lined up a high-powered board of advisors.
• Karen Webster – President of Market Platform Dynamics, Karen advises a number of successful high-tech companies, and is a well known speaker and consultant on social media, product design, payment technologies, and other aspects of online business.
• Krishna Jain – A respected engineer with experience at some of the biggest names in technology, Krishna is currently working with a technology startup, Galago Labs, in the development of a new breed of hand-held devices utilizing advanced “cloud” computing.
• Bruce L’Orange – Chief Business Development Consultant for BGV, Bruce offers a strong international background in growing businesses, and is founder of the Boston Brain Trust.
• Val Fox – Founder of Red Valise, an emerging brands marketing company, Val is considered an expert in driving online traffic, the key to any successful online business.
• Anthony Brogna – Marketing Director of CDI America, Anthony knows how to uncover what makes companies and brands unique, maximizing their impression in the marketplace.
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