AS MORE HOME BUYERS TURN TO THE INTERNET FOR MARKET RESEARCH, A NEW RESOURCE LAUNCHES TO ENABLE EASIER FASTER PROPERTY SEARCHES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

nEtCommerce LLC today announced the launch of Realnique (www.realnique.com), the first home buying resource that makes shopping for a property in Southern California fast and simple for anybody using the Internet.

What makes Realnique truly unique is partly its focus on real estate that is available in a particular market, specifically Southern California?s Los Angeles and Orange County areas. But more importantly, Realnique has been developed based on extensive usability research conducted by numerous U.S. universities and real estate trade associations, which indicate the importance of "ease of use" and most-wanted features when utilizing online research tools. These studies have proven that usability and certain kinds of features are most desired by Internet users.

With Realnique.com, home buyers need not provide any personal information, and may locate properties based on numerous criteria, print instant full-color flyers, locate Realtors(R), view a map of the property location, schedule a showing, and much more. By creating an online portfolio, the visitor can also store properties for comparison and return to view later.

"Many of the pre-existing venues for locating and comparing available homes are difficult to use," said Realnique president John Fitzpatrick. "Most contain regional content not applicable to Southern California, or even contain distracting elements like pop-up ads. Some even try to sell you car insurance or totally unrelated products and services while you're trying to find your new home. Our entire philosophy with Realnique is ... Real Estate, Real Simple."

"Further, the available home information is timely and extremely up-to-date. Realnique pulls property listing information from the Southern California Multiple Listing Service (SoCalMLS) within approximately 12 hours of the property being included in the MLS. Home features, photo(s), map directions, and agent contact information, are all included on Realnique.com automatically."

According to a study commissioned by the California Association of Realtors (CAR), homebuyers using the Internet invest significant time investigating the housing market and financing options before contacting a real estate agent. 49% think the Internet helped them better understand the purchase process, 92% use the Internet much like a screening process to narrow choices, and 78% of Internet home buyers find their real estate agent on the Internet.

Realnique is also a Silver Sponsor of the PWR Connect 2002 trade show, at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA. More info: http://www.pwaor.com/events/html/pwrconnect02/pwrconnect02GenInfo.html