FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

San Diego, CA - November 10, 2004.  With three-fourths of American families surfing the Internet, REALTORS are strongly urged to upgrade their marketing tactics to include online tools.  Leveraging the Internet is an easy and effective marketing strategy that can dramatically increase a REALTOR's earnings.

REALTORS without a Website or e-mail newsletter are at a competitive disadvantage today. According to a 2003 survey conducted by the National Association of REALTORS, 71 percent of homebuyers use the Internet in their home purchase search, up from 41 percent in 2001.  Successful REALTORS targeting the residential marketplace are embracing the Internet to compete for new clients.

Two online tools are essential for real estate agents and brokers.  A Website that displays current listings and creates credibility by providing background information (on the REALTOR's track record, brokerage programs, etc.) is critical. Working hand in glove, prospective clients are then pulled to the Website through an informative monthly or quarterly newsletter. 

The benefits are immense.  Websites offer 24/7 worldwide visibility, and e-mail newsletters put REALTORS in front of prospective buyers and sellers on a regular basis.  When newsletters are continually used in conjunction with a Website, REALTORS ultimately experience a flow of new clients seeking their services.

Unfortunately, many REALTORS suffer from technophobia, fearing they lack the expertise to tackle a Website or e-mail newsletter.  Others believe that doing this must be expensive.  Some feel that it would consume too much time.  "These fears are unfounded," states Al Kernek, author of a new book offered by Pacifica Endeavors: Creating E-Mail Newsletters - A Practical Guide for the Real Estate Community.

Kernek, a real estate broker and marketing executive with thirty years of computer industry experience, has spent hundreds of hours researching material for his book.  He emphasizes that REALTORS have a variety of choices, allowing them to choose an approach that best fits their time, expertise and wallet.  REALTORS are shown how to create effective newsletters on their own PC, where to find free content and supporting software, where to acquire low-cost software to boost productivity, how to have a Website for under $10 monthly, and the benefits of using inexpensive outsource services.  "Any agent or broker can have a professional-looking Website and attractive e-mail newsletter," Kernek observes, "You don't have to be a techie or spend a lot of money to enjoy the benefits of using these tools for increased sales."