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The site, Ourbania.com, was soft-launched last year and is part of EuroHypo’s corporate social responsibility efforts. Now the German real estate lender is rolling the site out to a larger audience.
“The idea is for real estate professionals to be connected to each other,” says Jörg Wilmes, head of marketing at EuroHypo. “Normally managers meet at conferences, but there is no virtual place to meet. Especially for younger professionals, I think they need a network to connect.”
Ourbania.com is structured around buildings – existing ones like the Gehry Buildings in Düsseldorf, Germany or new developments. Site citizens can add new buildings and the idea is to build connections around and through the various projects. The site does not have any EuroHypo branding.
“People involved in the buildings can say, this was part of my business life and connect that way,” says Wilmes.
Currently the site has around 550 citizens and is still a beta platform. The site will developed based on user feedback. Wilmes envisages adding more functions and linking with other relevant platforms.
“We want to develop a discussion and see how people are connected around buildings,” he says.