Press Room

We are excited to announce two new partnerships with ForRent.com! These new partnerships will increase distribution for our clients, potentially bringing more LEADS to their door! An updated online distribution piece is attached and available on the Knowledge Exchange Center.

ForRent.com Partners with PadMapper.com

ForRent.com listings are now live on PadMapper.com. PadMapper.com is a web application that makes it easy to browse through and pick out apartment and house rental listings. Listings are pulled up on a Google map.

How Do You Find Our Listings?

You have two search options.

The “Hop Somewhere” box:

• Do a quick search by typing in the city where the property is located or the property’s address in the box next to “Hop Somewhere.”
• On the next page you will find apartment listings for the the city or location of your choice. Each red marker represents a listing.
• You have the option to zoom in or out for a better view.

Filter Listings:

• For more search options, expand the box by clicking on the + sign to the right of “Filter Listings.”
• From there, end-users can cater search criteria through a variety of options, including source. This is where you will find ForRent.com, in addition to Craigslist and Apartments.com.
• The sites filters search criteria in real time, bringing the end-user to apartments quicker.
• End-users have the option to subscribe to their filtered search option through the grey box that says “Subscribe to this View/Filter Search.”

To search for a new location, simply type the city or address in the box next to “Hop Somewhere.”

ForRent.com Expands Reach Through New Oodle/AOL Partnership

Through our partnership with Oodle.com, the official classified content provider for AOL, ForRent.com listings are now being fed to RentedSpaces.com. RentedSpaces.com is AOL’s new rental/apartments classified portal that offers apartment seekers a variety of lifestyle tips and advice. This site is now gaining traction and has become Oodle’s top referring partner as well as one of the top referring domains for ForRent.com. Renters can also reach the site through the new “Apartments” tab in the directory on the left hand side of the AOL.com Home page.

How Do You Find Our Listings?

You have two search options.

Search box on the Home page:

• From the Home page, the end-user should locate the blue box in the middle of the page and type a city, state or zip code in the designated area. Then, click on “Search”.
• This brings the end-user to their search results, where they can filter their search options.
• To find ForRent.com listings, type ForRent.com in the keyword box at the bottom of the “Refine Search” column.

Rentals tab on the Home page:

• From the Home page, the end-user can click the “Rentals” tab located in the dark gray box in the site’s header.
• The end-user can then click on the state of their choice on the map or locate it in the “Browse Rentals By State” blue box.
• They can then choose one of three options to locate their desired city.
• The next page brings the end-user to their search results.
• To find ForRent.com listings, type ForRent.com in the keyword box at the bottom of the “Refine Search” column.

Please be sure to share this information with your clients!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact:  
Meredith Mobley
Marketing Communications Coordinator
meredith.mobley@forrent.com
Phone: 757-351-7366
Fax: 757-961-4827

Online video reaches major milestone and continues to gain popularity in the multi-housing industry

NORFOLK, Va.-(September 21, 2009)- A record 81 percent of U.S. Internet users watched online video in July 2009, according to an August 2009 study from comScore Media Metrix, a leader in digital measurement. The 158 million viewers was the largest audience ever recorded. At the same time, For Rent Media Solutions, a division of Dominion Enterprises, launched its 2000^th Community Theater^® online video. Both records point to the expanding role of online video in the multi-housing industry.

“For Rent Media Solutions understands why it’s important for multi-housing professionals to incorporate video into online marketing efforts,” says Terry Slattery, president of For Rent Media Solutions. “Combined, top social media and video sharing sites like YouTube^TM and MySpace^TM attracted nearly 170 million viewers in the U.S. alone who viewed more than 9 billion videos in July. These record-breaking numbers serve as proof of online video’s effectiveness and support the appeal of online video amongst consumers.”

Online video is growing as a cost-effective, dynamic form of media for multi-housing professionals to reach potential renters. For Rent Media Solutions^TM distributes its online video product, Community Theater, through a comprehensive syndicated video network. This network includes MySpace, Twitter and video sharing sites like YouTube. In August 2009, these videos were viewed more than 914,000 times.

In the multi-housing industry, online videos create an opportunity for property managers to expand their reach, frequency, impact and interactivity to a vast and diverse audience.  The launch of For Rent Media Solutions’ 2,000th live video re-emphasizes the company’s support of online marketing backed by traditional print advertising. Each listing in For Rent Magazine^® has a unique URL that guides apartment seekers directly to that listing’s ad on ForRent.com, the main location where Community Theater videos are housed.

Visit comScore.com to view additional collected data on the U.S. online video market. To learn more about online video and For Rent Media Solutions’ online video strategy, contact Mike D’Alba, director of mobile media.

About For Rent Media Solutions^TM

Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., For Rent Media Solutions is a division of Dominion Enterprises and a leading resource for choosing your next apartment for rent. As the multi-family housing solution for apartment seekers and property managers, For Rent Media Solutions operates For Rent Magazine^® and publishes 99 magazines covering more than 190 markets nationwide. In addition, For Rent Media Solutions operates four addition websites, including ForRent.com. For Rent Media Solutions is a company dedicated to the needs of the apartment industry, bringing prospective residents and apartment communities together.

About Dominion Enterprises

Dominion Enterprises is a leading marketing services company serving the automotive, enthusiast and commercial vehicle, real estate, apartment rental, and employment industries. The company’s businesses provide a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions including Internet advertising, lead generation, CRM, Web site design and hosting, and data management services. The company has more than 45 market-leading Web sites reaching more than 16.7 million unique visitors, and more than 450 magazines with a weekly circulation of 4.3 million. Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., the company has 5,400 employees in more than 200 offices nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.dominionenterprises.com/.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact:
Meredith Mobley
Marketing Communications Coordinator
meredith.mobley@forrent.com
Phone: 757-351-7366
Fax: 757-961-4827

Natalie Cariola promoted to southern California regional manager of For Rent Media Solutions

Former general manager transitions into her new role as regional manager

NORFOLK, Va.-(September 17, 2009)-For Rent Media Solutions, a leading apartment resource for searching apartments nationwide, and a division of Dominion Enterprises, is proud to announce Natalie Cariola’s promotion to regional manager of the company’s southern California region. In addition to Las Vegas, this new region includes the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego markets in California.

 ”Over the past several years, Natalie has demonstrated tremendous sales and management leadership in Los Angeles,” says Terry Slattery, president of For Rent Media Solutions. “In 2008, she received the Ernie Martin Outstanding Operations of the Year award, named after the company’s first president. This highly coveted award honors the best overall market in the nation. With her drive and determination, Natalie will lead the southern California region into an even more successful new year.”

Cariola joined For Rent Media Solutions in 2004 as a general manager. Since she joined, Cariola is a three-time winner of the President’s Club award, an award that recognizes the company’s top selling account executives in the nation for their efforts. Under her leadership, the For Rent Media Solutions Los Angeles market has been recognized for its outstanding sales and operation efforts. Before joining the company, Cariola worked with Homestore, Inc. as a national account director and then as regional sales manager, overseeing both inside and outside sales.

“I am honored to step into the role of regional manager for the For Rent Media Solutions southern California market,” said Cariola. “I am proud of the success our company continues to experience and look forward to finding more innovative ways to promote our clients and their properties.”

As regional manager, Cariola will oversee sales and operations for southern California.

About For Rent Media Solutions^TM

Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., For Rent Media Solutions is a division of Dominion Enterprises and a leading resource for choosing your next apartment for rent. As the multi-family housing solution for apartment seekers and property managers, For Rent Media Solutions operates For Rent Magazine^® and publishes 99 magazines covering more than 190 markets nationwide. In addition, For Rent Media Solutions operates four addition websites, including ForRent.com. For Rent Media Solutions is a company dedicated to the needs of the apartment industry, bringing prospective residents and apartment communities together.

About Dominion Enterprises

Dominion Enterprises is a leading marketing services company serving the automotive, enthusiast and commercial vehicle, real estate, apartment rental, and employment industries. The company’s businesses provide a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions including Internet advertising, lead generation, CRM, Web site design and hosting, and data management services. The company has more than 45 market-leading Web sites reaching more than 16.7 million unique visitors, and more than 450 magazines with a weekly circulation of 4.3 million. Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., the company has 5,400 employees in more than 200 offices nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.dominionenterprises.com/.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                            Contact:                                                                                                                             Meredith Mobley                                                                                 
Marketing Communications Coordinator
meredith.mobley@forrent.com
Phone: 757-351-7366
Fax: 757-961-4827

Online video increases lead generation by 30 percent for multi-housing advertisers

For Rent Media Solutions advertisers who use video in their marketing initiatives reap the benefits

NORFOLK, Va.-(August 25, 2009)- Property managers who incorporate video into their marketing initiatives see a significant increase in lead generation, according to For Rent Media Solutions, a leading apartment resource for searching apartments nationwide, and a division of Dominion Enterprises. By monitoring marketing activity in its LEADS^TM Dashboard, For Rent has observed that advertisers who add online video to their marketing initiatives increase lead generation by an average of 30 percent and by as much as 309 percent in some markets.

In Denver, two For Rent Media Solutions properties that incorporated the Community Theater^® video product into their advertising efforts saw an increase in LEADS of more than 309 percent. Community Theater allows property managers to put their communities on display through an online video commercial. Through Community Theater, potential renters get an inside look at the property of their choice. The jump in LEADS that advertisers are experiencing nationwide has been credited to these videos.

“Audiences across the nation are attracted to online video,” noted Terry Slattery, president of For Rent Media Solutions. “With LEADS increasing by more than 200 percent in some markets, it is evident our online video product Community Theater is generating the LEADS that deliver leases for property managers.”

More than 80.7 percent of mobile users coming to the ForRent.com mobile Web site can view video, according to Omniture SiteCatalyst^®, a Web analytic resource. comScore Media Metrix shows that  81.2 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video in June 2009. The average online video viewer watched 453 minutes of video, or nearly 7.6 hours.

A recent survey of more than 400 senior-level decision makers, conducted by PermissionTV, shows online video is the top priority for digital marketing budgets. Nearly 64 percent use online video for branded content and video destination and more than two thirds of respondents reported that strengthening relationships with existing customers and prospects is the primary goal of online video initiatives.

To learn more about Community Theater, please email community.theater@forrent.com.

About For Rent Media Solutions^TM

Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., For Rent Media Solutions is a division of Dominion Enterprises and a leading resource for choosing your next apartment for rent. As the multi-family housing solution for apartment seekers and property managers, For Rent Media Solutions operates For Rent Magazine^® and publishes 99 magazines covering more than 190 markets nationwide. In addition, For Rent Media Solutions operates four addition websites, including ForRent.com. For Rent Media Solutions is a company dedicated to the needs of the apartment industry, bringing prospective residents and apartment communities together.

About Dominion Enterprises

Dominion Enterprises is a leading marketing services company serving the automotive, enthusiast and commercial vehicle, real estate, apartment rental, and employment industries. The company’s businesses provide a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions including Internet advertising, lead generation, CRM, Web site design and hosting, and data management services. The company has more than 45 market-leading Web sites reaching more than 16.7 million unique visitors, and more than 450 magazines with a weekly circulation of 4.3 million. Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., the company has 5,400 employees in more than 200 offices nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.dominionenterprises.com/.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                            Contact:                                                                                                                             Meredith Mobley                                                                                 
Marketing Communications Coordinator
meredith.mobley@forrent.com
Phone: 757-351-7366
Fax: 757-961-4827

ForRent.com’s “Ready2Move?” video contest awards $10,000 to Dallas apartment renter

NORFOLK, Va.-(July 1, 2009)-Justin Spence got the call of a lifetime on Friday from ForRent.com^®. He entered his video in the apartment listing service’s nationwide online video contest and after months of anticipation, found out he was the $10,000 grand prize winner.

Spence, who works for his family’s radiator manufacturing business, is also a part time videographer. Under the weather and in the process of moving, Friday’s call could not have come at a better time. When asked how he felt about winning the $10,000 grand prize, he yelled, “Holy Moly! I think I just got a better kick than any kind of medicine could give me!”

ForRent.com launched the “Ready2Move?” nationwide video contest on April 1. The contest asked apartment seekers to create a short video and tell ForRent.com why they were ready to move for a chance to win $10,000.

Spence did just that. He and his wife created and starred in the one-minute video “$1,200 a month and No Pool?” The video depicts a conversation between Spence and a buddy, who is living lavishly in a Dallas apartment community, while Spence is desperately searching the classified listings for an apartment. The friend recommends ForRent.com as an apartment searching resource. When speaking about the benefit of the site’s functionality he boasts, “…you’re not gonna find that from some dude’s Web site in San Francisco.”

“This year’s contest was even more popular than last year. With the number of submissions more than doubling, the judges had a challenging time selecting the winners,” said Terry Slattery, president of For Rent Media Solutions.

In addition to the grand prize winner, three finalists were selected to receive an iPod Touch^®:

• Neehar and Renee Gupta, Indianapolis, for “The Answer is Clear“

• Bart Baker, Winnetka, Ill., for “Ready 2 Move“

• Chandra Farnsworth, Olympia, Wash., for “See Brent“

ForRent.com even rewarded viewers just for voting. Patrick Freise, a rising senior at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York, is $1,500 richer after being selected in a random drawing from 4,798 voters as the voting sweepstakes winner. With his earnings, Freise says he plans to buy his girlfriend a nice birthday gift.

Spence credits the popularity of his video to promoting it on social media Web sites like Facebook and Myspace, “I personally use Facebook and MySpace a lot. I’m a strong believer that social networking is the new media to advertise your products.”

ForRent.com worked with Vitrue, a social media company, to launch its second annual nationwide video contest. A panel of judges watched all 123 videos and selected the grand prize winner and the three finalists based on five criteria: creativity/originality, overall quality/appearance, relevance to the contest theme, promotion of the ForRent.com and or For Rent Magazine^® brand, as well as the total number of user generated Internet votes received. In total, more than 24,000 votes were received.

To see all videos submitted for the “Ready2Move?” video contest, visit http://contest.forrent.com/.

About For Rent Media Solutions^TM

Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., For Rent Media Solutions is a division of Dominion Enterprises. As the multi-family housing solution for apartment seekers, property/apartment managers and owners, For Rent Media Solutions provides superior products, outstanding customer service, and tangible results.  For Rent Media Solutions is a leading resource for choosing your next apartment for rent, townhouse, condo, duplex, efficiency, studio or loft and provides a free customizable apartment search from more than 50,000 apartment listings nationwide.  For Rent Media Solutions operates For Rent Magazine^®, as well as ForRent.com^TM-The Magazine, and publishes 98 magazines covering more than 190 markets nationwide, including After 55^TM Housing & Resource Guide, and Apartamentos Para Rentar^®. For Rent Media Solutions operates four additional Web sites: ForRent.com^®, SeniorOutlook.com^TM, CorporateHousing.com^®, and ParaRentar.com^TM.  For Rent Media Solutions is a company dedicated to the needs of the apartment industry, bringing prospective residents and apartment communities together.

About Dominion Enterprises

Dominion Enterprises is a leading marketing services company serving the automotive, enthusiast and commercial vehicle, real estate, apartment rental, and employment industries. The company’s businesses provide a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions including Internet advertising, lead generation, CRM, Web site design and hosting, and data management services. The company has more than 45 market-leading Web sites reaching more than 16.7 million unique visitors, and more than 450 magazines with a weekly circulation of 4.3 million. Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., the company has 5,400 employees in more than 200 offices nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.dominionenterprises.com/.

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  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: 
Meredith Mobley
Marketing Communications Coordinator
meredith.mobley@forrent.com
Phone: 757-351-7366
Fax: 757-961-4827 

ForRent.com launches free GPhone application

ForRent.com offers most comprehensive line of mobile products in multi-housing industry

NORFOLK, Va.-(June 29, 2009)-ForRent.com, anchor Web site of For Rent Media Solutions^TM, a leading apartment resource for searching apartments nationwide, and a division of Dominion Enterprises, has launched a ForRent.com T-Mobile G1^TM (GPhone) application. The new application is the latest addition to For Rent’s comprehensive line of mobile marketing products for apartment seekers, including the ForRent.com text messaging product, mobile Web site and iPhone^TM application.

With ForRent.com’s free GPhone application, apartment seekers can browse through thousands of apartment listings nationwide. Users can also view apartment descriptions, videos, pictures, and floor plans, save their results, and contact the property. Consumers can use touchable map pins to click on a pin representing a property and go directly to the property’s page. From the map, apartment seekers can zoom in and out to get a clearer view of the property and its proximity to surrounding apartment communities.

The GPhone runs on the new Google Android operating system and applications are distributed in the Android Market, which opened to the public on October 22. Applications are only accessible through the GPhone phone, but can be previewed at the Android Market Web site.

“Mobile marketing is quickly spreading as a leading method of communication used to engage consumers,” says Terry Slattery, president of For Rent Media Solutions. “According to comScore Media Metrix, consumers downloaded 83 percent more mobile applications in March 2009 than in March 2008. We understand how much mobile Web impacts our consumers’ daily lives and will continue to explore opportunities with other mobile devices in the future.”

While the number of consumers downloading mobile applications continues to grow, comScore shows that, overwhelmingly, the preferred mode for accessing local content on a mobile device is through a mobile browser. In March 2008, 15.4 million mobile Web users accessed information via a mobile browser. By March 2009, that number jumped to 20.7 million. These numbers support the success seen by the ForRent.com mobile site. According to Omniture SiteCatalyst, an online business optimization company, the ForRent.com mobile site received more than 256,000 page views in May 2009.

The GPhone application adds to the already existing suite of mobile products offered to apartment seekers and solidifies ForRent.com as a leader in mobile marketing. Other mobile products include text messaging, launched in June 2007, the mobile Web site, launched in June 2008, and the iPhone application launched earlier this year.

About For Rent Media Solutions^TM

Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., For Rent Media Solutions is a division of Dominion Enterprises. As the multi-family housing solution for apartment seekers, property/apartment managers and owners, For Rent Media Solutions provides superior products, outstanding customer service, and tangible results.  For Rent Media Solutions is a leading resource for choosing your next apartment for rent, townhouse, condo, duplex, efficiency, studio or loft and provides a free customizable apartment search from more than 30,000 apartment listings nationwide.  For Rent Media Solutions operates For Rent Magazine^®, as well as ForRent.com^TM-The Magazine, and publishes 99 magazines covering more than 190 markets nationwide, including After 55^TM Housing & Resource Guide, and Apartamentos Para Rentar^®. For Rent Media Solutions operates four additional Web sites: ForRent.com^®, SeniorOutlook.com^TM, CorporateHousing.com^®, and ParaRentar.com^TM.  For Rent Media Solutions is a company dedicated to the needs of the apartment industry, bringing prospective residents and apartment communities together.

About Dominion Enterprises

Dominion Enterprises is a leading marketing services company serving the automotive, enthusiast and commercial vehicle, real estate, apartment rental, and employment industries. The company’s businesses provide a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions including Internet advertising, lead generation, CRM, Web site design and hosting, and data management services. The company has more than 45 market-leading Web sites reaching more than 16.7 million unique visitors, and more than 450 magazines with a weekly circulation of 4.3 million. Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., the company has 5,400 employees in more than 200 offices nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.dominionenterprises.com/.

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