Industry Pros Set to Launch 'The Real Estate Network'

A group of cable, media and real estate professionals are teaming on The Real Estate Network, with an eye toward a 2016 launch.

The multiplatform service plans to present a wide range of programming centering on real estate news and entertainment, with content catered to such sub-genres as primary residence, second and vacation homes, investment and senior living. 

Robert Atkinson, a Minnesota real estate entrepreneur is the founder and CEO, while Stuart Evey, the former Getty Oil executive who steered the launch investment in the then-fledgling ESPN, is chairman. Other board members are former Allen & Co, managing director Jack Schneider and TV and film executive and current Bungalow Media Entertainment CEO Robert Friedman.

The Real Estate Network is being created to be a trusted source of real estate information and transaction capability for consumers, not just by aggregating information and service offerings from other sources, but by creating new and proprietary content that will fill the void currently existing," said Atkinson in a release.

In addition to television and Web content, the multiplatform network plans to offer video-on-demand content.

“I quickly recognized The Real Estate Network as being a tremendous opportunity to build an iconic television network, web marketplace and brand in the real estate space. It has the same potential as ESPN and will revolutionize the real estate industry in the same way that ESPN did for sports,” said Evey, who served as CEO and board chairman during the sports service's nascent years.

The company said it plans to provide more information about investors, senior management and the network's launch and distribution plans in the weeks ahead.