In the past five years, there's been a definite change in the way real estate professionals embrace new products, marketing and business expansion efforts online. Who would have imagined five years ago the terms "wireless", "modem" and "instant messaging" would be part of an agent's daily vocabulary - or that over 50 percent of homebuyers would turn to the Web to search for their next home. Yet, as technology advances, these very breakthroughs can sometimes seem overwhelming to a real estate professional trying to sort through all the new products claiming to "revolutionize" the industry.

At REALTOR.com®, the official site of the National Association of REALTORS®, operated by Homestore.com, Inc., our goal is simple: to provide professionals with world-class media and technology products to increase leads, improve operating efficiency and maximize productivity. Working hand-in-hand with the industry, REALTOR.com® is committed to developing the tools and innovation necessary for our clients - real estate leaders – to thrive in a rapidly changing economy. 

REALTOR.com® is building this framework under four major themes:

1. Building the number-one consumer site for real estate in the U.S. - delivering to professionals millions of informed and interested potential homebuyers.
2. Forging strong alliances with industry leaders through sensible joint ventures bringing to the table "the best of the best" in our business.
3. Anticipating our industry's needs tomorrow by investing in product development today.
4. Never underestimating the importance of quality customer service - the cornerstone of any successful company.  

The Top Consumer Site

REALTOR.com® offers professionals one of the most effective ways to market properties online and a range of tools to attract the homebuyer's interest.  REALTOR.com® is #1 in site visitors, minutes per visit, content, online distribution and industry relationships. With over 1.5 million listings and critical home-related content, it's no wonder more consumers spend more time on REALTOR.com® than any other site in the category.  

With half of all homebuyers using the Internet in the process of buying and selling a home, it's important for professionals to look at how they spend their resources.   For instance, compare the money allocated to traditional advertising, such as newspaper classifieds. Instead of reaching circulation rates in the hundreds of thousands, subscribers on REALTOR.com® are marketing to millions of captivated consumers, helping generate more opportunities for more leads.

Professionals can also choose some unique solutions to court these millions of homebuyers. For example, an i-LEAD(tm) Web site from REALTOR.com® is a customizable, multi-page site for brokers and agents, helping REALTORS® attract, connect and communicate with potential clients. An i-LEAD (tm) Web site also integrates with the industry's leading technologies such as TOP PRODUCER6i®, the leading marketing and contact management system for real

estate professionals. With an i-LEAD(tm) Web site, subscribers can enhance their listings with multiple photos and virtual tours, meeting consumer demand for quality imaging online. Subscribers also have the ability to advertise open houses on REALTOR.com® and use Homestore(tm) Messenger, powered by REALTOR.com®, to communicate instantly with consumers browsing their listings.

Key Strategic Alliances

REALTOR.com® is pooling resources with the industry to forge strong, sensible joint ventures integrating top technology and engineering leaders.  With Homestore.com Inc's recent acquisition of world-class real estate technology companies like TOP PRODUCER® and WyldFyre(tm), and alliances with specialists like RE FormsNet, FIRETAP(tm), and iPIX®, it's clear the framework is being built to meet the needs of the industry long-term.

Through REALTOR.com's® collaboration with NAR and other industry leaders, another innovative solution is being developed-REALTOR.comsm - an online system that will help agents manage the more that 20 arduous steps of the real estate transaction for their clients. eREALTOR.comSM will provide, among other things, an automated scheduling and workflow engine, an order center linked to real estate brokers' key trading partners (including title and escrow service providers, mortgage brokers and inspection companies) and an electronic document storage and transaction archive. 

Increased Product Development

REALTOR.com® is investing in their clients' futures by developing an unparalleled assortment of technology tools customized and dedicated to real estate professionals. These products are designed to increase productivity and put money back into the pockets of professionals.

Brokers and agents are already using top products from Homestore.comTM companies in their everyday business. For instance, professionals can use TOP PRODUCER6i® to create sophisticated sales presentations and deliver them from their desktops, WyldFyreTM Listings to download MLS information, and HomeTour 3600  to create virtual tours and other imaging products to improve the online home search for the consumer. Mobile solutions for REALTORS® are also gaining momentum, like MLSPhone, a software tool that allows REALTORS® to access real-time MLS data direct from the MLS using a data-enabled phone.

Superior Customer Service

Finally, REALTOR.com® strongly believes in supporting its customers – from the novice to the Internet savvy - to help everyone take advantage of making the most of the Internet.  At the end of the day, the best tools are useless if they do not address the day-to-day business styles and tactics of agents and brokers. 

At REALTOR.com's® new state-of-the-art customer care center in Scottsdale, Arizona, hundreds of service associates tend to the questions of these customers nationwide. Whether requesting information on adding photos to an i-LEAD Web site or inquiring about buying wireless products, REALTOR.com's® service managers can walk customers through many options to help run their business more efficiently and effectively. REALTOR.com® also hosts thousands of face-to-face Internet training sessions in the field each year to guide customers to increased productivity and profitability.

Since we've only witnessed the beginning of the commercial Internet, it may be hard to grasp its full significance. In the years ahead, REALTOR.com® will continue its commitment to the industry and the industry professional - no matter what new trends or technology windfalls arrive - with inventive solutions to improve their business. If the next five years are anything like the last, these innovations could fundamentally transform the way we do business all over again.