Voices: President
REALTOR.com: Lots More, and It's Free!

BY RICHARD F. GAYLORD

If you haven’t spent time at REALTOR.com lately, I urge you to go online today. What you’ll see is a site that has been completely retooled. You’ll find new, free services for REALTORS® and a user-friendly design that already has consumers spending significantly more time viewing properties.

The new REALTOR.com gives you—free of charge:

• Not just one but four photos on basic listings
• Listing data refreshed multiple times daily
• Neighborhood and school reports right on your listings
• Home value comparisons that will enable sellers, working with a REALTOR®, to make informed decisions about pricing
• An improved search function that reduces the number of steps to reach search results.
  
  I’m talking about a new level of member service—one that revolves around your business success.
  
  Those of you who buy premium services from REALTOR.com will enjoy free upgrades, too: Your showcase listings will now stand out even better than before with:
• More space
• Larger photos (up to 25 of them)
• The ability to upload video
• Better placement of your contact information
  
  The newly improved site is based on extensive consumer testing. It gives consumers more of what they’re asking for—more photos, easier navigation, and up-to-date listings—in an environment centered on REALTORS®. And none of these enhancements will cost you a dime.
  
  Why Support REALTOR.com
  With so many real estate–related Web sites vying for consumers’ attention, let’s not forget why why maintaining REALTOR.comas the No. 1 real estate Web site in the country is so important.
  
  The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® established REALTOR.coma dozen years ago. At a time when others were looking to turn real estate into an online commodity, our goal was to ensure that we retained our important position as advocates for our clients and customers in the real estate transaction.
  
  REALTOR.comquickly became the most-trafficked real estate site on the Internet. With few exceptions, it has stayed in that position for 12 years. In March, REALTOR.com drew more than 6.2 million unique users, far outpacing its competitors.
  
  From that position of strength, the folks at REALTOR.comhave looked at what’s happening in the technology arena, reached out to consumers and to REALTORS® and MLSs, and created what I believe is a truly amazing member service. And they’re not stopping here; testing is already underway on innovations that will bring more buyers and sellers your way.
  
  What’s the use of all this technology, after all, if it doesn’t result in more business for you? At the new REALTOR.com,they get that, and they’re committed to bringing you the value you deserve.
  
  Richard F. Gaylord
  2008 NAR president
  CIPS, CRB, CRS®, GRI