Communication system and method between a home buyer, seller, strategic business source, and lender

• US 8,095,457 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Homescout LLC
• Original Assignee: Preferred Home Buyers Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Polston, Stephen M., Vennie, Aaron Matthew, Colville, Jeffery Matthew, Hiller, Michelle Patrice, Steele, Ronald J., Skallman, Joan Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Maguire, Lindsay M.
• Application Number:
  US11/999,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 705/38, 705/313
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

A computerized system and method are presented for exchanging information between a buyer, a seller, a lender, and a strategic business source. The system permits sellers, lenders and strategic business sources to input buyers that are then submitted for activation. The buyers use the system to obtain information about items, while the sellers, lenders, and strategic business sources make consistent contact with the buyer in order to work with the buyer. Information about the buyers is shared with the sellers, lenders, and strategic business sources. A business plan is input into the system for the financial institution employing the lender while another business plan is input for the seller institution employing the seller. Activity on the computerized system is calculated for compliance with the business plan. Feedback is provided to management relating to whether the business plan is being met.

Claims

1. A computerized method for use of a computerized system comprising:

using software programming instructions stored on a tangible computer readable medium and operating on at least one processor used by the computerized system to perform the following programmed steps;

a) creating in an electronic database in the computerized system the following database records;

i) agent records,

ii) strategic business source records,

iii) lender records, and

iv) and at least one lender institution record,

b) creating associations in the electronic database by creating database relationships linking;

i) a plurality of agent records with one lender record,

ii) a plurality of business source records with one lender record, and

iii) a plurality of lender records with one lender institution record;

c) assigning in the electronic database a hierarchy level to a first portion of lender records linked to the one lender institution record and not assigning the hierarchy level to a second portion lender records linked to the one lender institution record;

d) receiving a business plan for the hierarchy level into the computerized system, the business plan including;

i) a goal for new seller records that are linked to lender records assigned to the hierarchy level, and

ii) a goal for new strategic business source records that are linked to lender records assigned to the hierarchy level;

e) creating within the electronic database a plurality of new seller records and new strategic business source records, and creating database relationships linking the new seller and strategic business source records to lender records assigned to the hierarchy level;

f) tracking within the electronic database the number of new seller records and new strategic business source records that are linked to lender records assigned to the hierarchy level; and

g) indicating through the computerized system how the number of tracked new seller records and new strategic business source records compares with the business plan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the business plan further includes a goal for new lender hires, and where the indicating step indicates how many new lender records are assigned to the hierarchy level as compared to the goal for new lender hires.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising

h) creating a higher level containing the hierarchy level and at least one additional hierarchy level;

and

i) aggregating the numbers in the business plan for the hierarchy level with numbers in a business plan for the at least one additional hierarchy level into a business plan for the higher level.

4. The computerized method of claim 3, further comprising:

j) tracking within the electronic database the total number of new seller records and associated strategic business source records that are linked in the database to lender records assigned to the hierarchy level or the at least one additional level; and

k) indicating through the computerized system how the total number of tracked new seller records and associated strategic business source records compares with the business plan.

5. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising:

g) creating buyer records in the electronic database, the buyer records containing financial information and buyer search criteria;

h) creating database relationships within the electronic database system linking each buyer record with both a lender record and an agent record;

i) for each identified buyer record;

i) withholding access to desired real estate listing information through a buyer user interface associated with the identified buyer record until after search criteria for the identified buyer record is activated;

ii) presenting, through the computerized system, the financial information for the identified buyer record to a lender user interface associated with the lender record linked to the identified buyer record;

iii) receiving activation of the identified buyer search criteria through the lender user interface wherein the identified buyer search criteria cannot be activated except through the lender user interface associated with the lender record linked to the identified buyer record; and

iv) after activation of the identified buyer search criteria, granting access to the desired real estate listing information through the buyer user interface associated with the identified buyer record.

6. A tangible computer readable medium containing a computer program comprising:

a) programming that creates in an electronic database in a computerized system the following database records;

i) agent records,

ii) strategic business source records,

iii) lender records, and

iv) and at least one lender institution record,

b) creating associations in the electronic database by creating database relationships linking;

i) a plurality of agent records with one lender record,

ii) a plurality of business source records with one lender record, and

iii) a plurality of lender records with one lender institution record;

c) programming that assigns a hierarchy level to a first portion of lender records linked to the one lender institution record and not assigning the hierarchy level to a second portion lender records linked to the one lender institution record;

d) programming for receiving a business plan for the hierarchy level into the computerized system, the business plan including;

i) a goal for new seller records that are linked to lender records assigned to the hierarchy level, and

ii) a goal for new strategic business source records that are linked to lender records assigned to the hierarchy level;

e) programming that creates within the electronic database a plurality of new seller records and new strategic business source records, and creating database relationships linking the new seller and strategic business source records to lender records assigned to the hierarchy level;

f) programming that tracks within the electronic database the number of new seller records and new strategic business source records that are linked to lender records assigned to the hierarchy level; and

g) programming that indicates through the computerized system how the number of tracked new seller records and new strategic business source records compares with the business plan.

7. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the business plan further includes a goal for new lender hires, and where the indicating programming indicates how many new lender records are assigned to the hierarchy level as compared to the goal for new lender hires.

8. The tangible computer readable medium method of claim 6, further comprising

h) programming that creates a higher level containing the hierarchy level and at least one additional hierarchy level;

and

i) programming that aggregates the numbers in the business plan for the hierarchy level with numbers in a business plan for the at least one additional hierarchy level into a business plan for the higher level.

9. The tangible computer readable medium method of claim 8, further comprising:

j) programming that tracks within the electronic database the total number of new seller records and associated strategic business source records that are linked in the database to lender records assigned to the hierarchy level or the at least one additional level; and

k) programming that indicates through the computerized system how the total number of tracked new seller records and associated strategic business source records compares with the business plan.