Increasing Number of Consumers Turning to the Net for Real Estate

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HomeGain reports record Web site visits in March
RISMEDIA, April 26, 2006?Increasing numbers of consumers are turning to the Internet to begin their home buying or selling process, as evidenced by HomeGain?s reported record traffic in March 2006. HomeGain, a Classified Ventures company, reported 7.7 million total visits and 5.5 million unique visitors to its site in March, according to internal statistics. This represents a 21% increase in traffic over March 2005.

According to the National Association of Realtors, home sales this year should generally level out and remain at historically high levels. As the market maintains its above-average activity, especially for buyers, real estate agents are faced with younger, Internet-savvy consumers who know how to find quality information online.

?Most consumers today understand that their best resource for starting a search, especially to buy or sell a home, is online,? stated Tim Fagan, president of Classified Ventures Real Estate. ?They quickly realize that even with the information they find online, they?ll still need a real estate agent, which is where HomeGain steps in and is able to connect consumers with a local agent or broker.?

As reports of the market transitioning to a ?buyers market? spread over the Internet, many real estate professionals are turning to HomeGain?s BuyerLink program. With over 300 online partners, including Yahoo!, Google, AOL, MSN and USATODAY.com, HomeGain?s BuyerLink solution enables real estate professionals to receive qualified traffic directly to their website, increase their visibility and provide consumers access to a local agent.

Melody Champney, Prudential Palms, Florida, and a HomeGain member since 2004, said, “BuyerLink not only has increased the number of visits to my Web site, but now I receive actual buyers who are ready to transact anywhere from right away to within six months or a year. This product is key for growing my pipeline, as leads generated from my Web site account for 90% of my business. Also, I network with agents for their referrals nationwide, and I’ve seen an increase in referrals from other agents through the site since signing up with HomeGain.”

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