Tree.com Unveils Long-Awaited Strategic Initiative

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tree.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: TREE) today announced a new strategic initiative that the Company expects to change the way consumers and businesses interact online when it comes to finding resources for life's most important financial decisions. Chairman and CEO Doug Lebda, speaking exclusively to business and marketing leaders at LeadsCon Las Vegas, gave an introduction to Tree.com, which is expected to launch in Q2 2010. Tree.com is a multi-faceted decision making destination for consumers that the Company expects to also open a powerful customer acquisition channel for businesses across a range of markets.

With the new Tree.com, the Company intends to leverage the proven model it introduced with LendingTree.com, which paired a "reverse marketplace" with reliable information and support for making educated choices about home loans. Recognized as a trusted consumer resource, the Company saw an opportunity to step in where typical search engines fall short, offering guidance for other complex purchases that require careful consideration. Tree.com is anticipated to extend the same robust infrastructure, consumer-friendly interface, and dependable insight to deliver a hub of content and resources around every major "considered purchase" in life – from finding a college and a career, to buying a car and a house, to planning for health and retirement. Once launched, the Company expects that consumers will be able to access vendor pricing and quotes alongside personalized advice, interactive tools for comparison shopping, a community with blogs, ratings, and reviews, articles with useful tips and insights, and more – all through a free, secure, and anonymous profile.

"True to our mission, Tree.com is designed to provide consumers with an ally to help them make smart and informed financial decisions across all major life stages," said Lebda. "More than just research, we hope that Tree.com will improve the consumer experience with value-added content and direct access to professionals. Our goal is also to improve the return to our partners, enabling them to go beyond a click or an impression, and connect with potential customers in a meaningful way that translates to tangible results."

Tree.com plans for its "hubs" to be powered through the Company's internal resources along with qualified partners in key industry categories, including Finance, Lending, Real Estate, Education, Autos, Home Services, and Health. The Company expects that each category will feature multiple partners to ensure that the consumer experience remains both unbiased and comprehensive. By connecting businesses directly with the people who are searching for their knowledge, products, and services, Tree.com hopes to create a unique customer acquisition platform, featuring a low-risk, high-return pay-for-performance model. The Company anticipates that partners will be able to offer both expert content and professional services through the trusted Tree.com brand, enabling them to better market their message, interact with consumers, and generate more leads than with search engines or other online marketing channels. The Tree.com partner interface is expected to make management simple, with instant analytics, customization, reporting, and more, including seamless integration of Tree.com content with existing Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter pages.

"Tree.com has a long history of innovation in the lead generation space. Innovation and investment into making a better ecosystem for partners and consumers is what this conference is all about," said Jay Weintraub, Internet advertising marketing expert and founder of LeadsCon. "We couldn't be more excited that Tree.com has chosen this venue to introduce this platform." 

At LeadsCon, Tree.com is inviting businesses to "claim their category," offering partner opportunities for direct buyers, agencies, content authors, publishers, and more. The Company expects to announce its first partnership announcements in the coming weeks. To arrange an interview with Doug Lebda or obtain a video, transcript, or screenshots of the presentation at LeadsCon, contact Jesson Burnam at 609-279-0050 x104 or [email protected].

About Tree.com, Inc.

Tree.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: TREE) is the parent of several brands and businesses that provide information, tools, advice, products and services for critical transactions in our customers' lives. Our family of brands includes: LendingTree.com®, GetSmart.com®, RealEstate.com®, DegreeTree(SM), HealthTree(SM), LendingTreeAutos.com, DoneRight.com, and InsuranceTree(SM). Together, these brands serve as an ally for consumers who are looking to comparison shop for loans, real estate and other services from multiple businesses and professionals who will compete for their business.

Tree.com, Inc. is the parent company of wholly owned operating subsidiaries: LendingTree, LLC and Home Loan Center, Inc.

Tree.com, Inc. is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. and maintains operations solely in the United States. For more information, please visit www.tree.com.

Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

The matters contained in the discussion above may be considered to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations or anticipations of the Company and members of our management team. Factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include our failure to: secure partners in a timely manner; effectively utilize internal resources; provide competitive service; maintain brand recognition; attract and retain customers in a cost-effective manner; and develop new products and services and enhance existing ones. These and additional factors to be considered are set forth under "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2008, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 2009, June 30, 2009, and September 30, 2009 and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results or expectations.

SOURCE Tree.com, Inc.