The believer

The Swedish design & communication magazine Cap&Design has a makeover of Hemnet (the Swedish listing service, earlier coverage) in their latest issue. It's done by Daytona and the result looks like below (the article is found here).

Carl Bjurling and Thomas Le Guellaff from Daytona have focused on;
   1. search using pictures
   2. all listings should have the same layout
   3. add services for home renovation
   4. making it easier on 'open house' day with possibility of GPS coordinates 

My thoughts
I like the idea to add a search more based on pictures, just like the way the ads are done in a newspaper. It's a quick way to browse through a list and get a sense of the listing. The same with the functionality helping out on the day of 'open house'. (A possibility to create an account and mark interested listings should be a minimum.)

The same layout for all listing on the detailed page will be complicated since Hemnet only gather a few searchable parameters then link the visitors to the detailed page at each brokers website. Everything is possible, but that one will involve quite a few changes to the overall technical architecture.

I don't believe in creating more services around the lifecycle of a home. Hemnet (or a service like this) should stay focused on investing in a home, not how to renovate it.

Overall, it's a good suggestion on a service that is easy to pick on. But fact speaks for it self, Hemnet still has the most listings and is the preferable choice to start your search. One has to wait an see if new services like Booli (earlier coverage) and bospindeln will change this.

Computer Sweden (the largest IT paper in Sweden) ran a SaaS topic last week including a conference (when I was in Cannés...).

The seven articles are found here (in Swedish).

It's great to see this effort and I'm looking forward to more to come.
(Also glad that they put in the effort to find other SaaS representatives than just Salesforce...)

A tradition in the commercial property industry is to meet up in Cannés (France) in the beginning of March for informal meetings. The reason is to visit the annual MIPIM event. An event that brings 28 000 attendees from 85 countries (some 800 (!) from Sweden.)

More info about MIPIM
Click here for photos from MIPIM.

Great coverage on MIPIM is found at CNBC (special MIPIM coverage), PropertyWeek (UK based property magazine), PropertyEU (independent research site) and the blogs at bdonline (architects) and TheLawer (infosite)   

A new traditon for IT believers
This year Datscha (where I'm the Product Manager) gathered IT focused professionals for a drink at our yacht. Even on a short notice quite a group showed up and it was a great gathering. It's always great to meet people that share a common belief. See you all next year.