How can Realtors get and capture leads on the Internet? Realty Times has solved the problem with a low-cost, easy to use lead generation and capture tool called The Real Estate Update.

With a feature set designed to make Internet marketing quick, easy, and inexpensive, The Real Estate Update is a customizable news and information e-mailer for agents to send out to their clients and prospects, saving hundreds of dollars in mailing costs and hours of time and frustration.

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Advertising-free, The Real Estate Update is updated monthly and is composed of 8 to 10 timely feature stories specifically for buyers and sellers, as well as daily mortgage quotes and news, a library of tips for consumers, and links to listing and personal information of the agent's choice. The Real Estate Update is designed primarily to be used as a stand-alone Internet marketing and contact program, but many agents leverage their investment by using it as a feature on their custom and template web sites.

"The Real Estate Update is a powerful presentation tool," says Agent News publisher Blanche Evans. "Agents love it because they have control. Who wouldn't want to list with an agent who can flip open a laptop, and say, "Here's my monthly newsletter that I send to clients and prospects. If you list with me, I'll make you listing of the week!""

Evans explains that Realty Times' position as the leading independent news service for consumers and real estate professionals allows The Real Estate Update to also appeal to large real estate organizations that are looking for co-brandable, affordable marketing tools for their members.

"The Real Estate Update is the first launch in our comprehensive partner program," says Evans. "We have a unique business model that allows us to offer our services to individual agents, brokers of all sizes, franchise organizations, listings sites, Realtor organizations, and more without political or branding conflicts, or excluding sectors of the industry."

The Real Estate Update will be a featured non-commercial component of the task-based e-PRO curriculum in which agents who wish to be certified in Internet mastery by the National Association of REALTORS can complete course work to receive the e-PRO designation.

The Real Estate Update features include:

A WELCOME POP UP WINDOW Catch your visitors' attention right away by displaying important messages in this pop up window.

FEATURED LINK. A link of your choice is displayed prominently on the front page of your newsletter. You can link to any web page that you wish, and call the link anything that you want. Many agents use this to link to a "Listing of the Week".

NO ADS. The Real Estate Update has no ads or promotional links except for your own.

DAILY NEWS. Your Newsletter visitors have a reason to return to your Newsletter again and again. The Real Estate Update contains all of Realty Times' daily consumer content, including current mortgage rates, market conditions and news affecting the real estate industry. All of the articles are viewed from within your newsletter and contain no off-site links or advertisements.

LIBRARY OF CONSUMER ADVICE. Thousands of Realty Times Consumer Advice articles are available to your The Real Estate Update readers, including topics ranging from Buyers' and Sellers' Advice to Apartment Living. As with the daily news features, all of the advice articles are viewed from within your newsletter and contain no off-site links or advertisements.

"CONTACT ME" LEAD CAPTURE FORM. The Real Estate Update provides a customizable form that your readers can fill out and submit to request more information directly from you. When a visitor fills out and submits the form, it is immediately e-mailed directly to your e-mail address so you can respond as soon as possible. Customizable links to the form are put on the front page and at the end of every article in the Newsletter and say whatever you would like for them to.

TAGLINE. Include your slogan or tagline in the header of every page of your newsletter.

CUSTOM FOOTER. With The Real Estate Update, you can completely customize what appears on the footer of every page of your newsletter, such as adding a company graphic, or whatever else you would like.

BECOME YOUR OWN WEBMASTER. You will receive a login and password that will allow you to change your Real Estate Update information at any time and as often as you would like. Changes you make take effect immediately.

The Real Estate Update is offered to any real estate practitioner for $200 per year, or $25 month-to-month.

For more information visit the The Real Estate Update Signup page.

To find out more about other Realty Times Subscription Services, visit Realty Times "Agent Tools".

Published: May 1, 2000

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