This dog can hunt. Dave Lockwood, who lives and works in suburban northwest Houston (Harris County) Texas, was a Web puppy a year ago. Today, more than 30 percent of Dave's business comes to him via his Web site.

Although he was new to the Internet, Lockwood was far from a rookie in the real estate industry. A consistent yearly top producer, Lockwood is in the top 1 percent of agents in the nation in terms of commissions earned. One thing he has proven, like many other seasoned pros, is that you can teach an old dog new tricks. He also shoots down the notion that the Web is only used by new agents who are just starting out.

Lockwood has a bachelor's degree in business administration with a double major in finance and marketing, and a master's degree in International Business. He is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. He receives e-mail inquiries from all over the world on all subjects related to the real estate transaction. When he writes his advice column, "Dear Dave," published exclusively on his site, it has the ring of authority.

Find out how the right motivation, the right Web-site designer, and the right content can turn a Web pup into a true pointer. Dave Lockwood and his dog, Odie, show you how he developed a successful Web business.

A.N.: How do you determine what to put on your site?
D.L.: What is online is specifically intended for the consumer. One of the ways I can get people to continue to visit the site is by providing information to the public, so I include interest rates, "Dear Dave," and anything I think will interest people.
A.N.: More than 30 percent of your volume comes from the Internet. How do you do it?
D.L.: We launched on Good Friday, March 28, 1997, and have gone from 0 percent to 30 percent in that time. I really give a lot of credit to my Web-site designer, Dave Neinberg, who I think is the genius of hypertext. He just knows how to do it. Just by chance, Dave and his wife were looking for a house in fall 1996, and we started talking. He bought a house from me, and I bought a Web site from him. I told him, "I'm a show-me kind of person." A year ago, I was very cautious. Realtors are constantly spammed deluged by ways to advertise, and some of the ideas have validity, but many don't do the job. I was very skeptical as to what the Web site would do and what kind of incremental business it would get me. I told Dave, "I do not want to do this unless it's a real top-notch, kick-butt, user-friendly site." I wanted it to be navigable and informative. I did not want it only as a sales tool.

A.N.: What is Odie's role?
D.L.: I have Odie to provide a little entertainment. Most people can relate to a dog, and they are part of a home, too. We have three dogs, actually. But Odie is a hunting dog, so the image is that I will be a good hunting "dog" for home owners.

A.N.: Do you write your own material for your advice column?
D.L.: I write some of it, and some is from the title company or from other various companies.

A.N.: How much do you feel the site reflects who you are?
D.L.: I am not a halfway kind of guy. So it totally works for me. I am a believer. You are preaching to the choir about the Internet. I have so many customers who all say the same thing: "Hey, Dave, we're moving to Houston soon, and we saw your site. The information is really good, and this is what we're looking for. Can you help us?" I e-mail them back immediately -- I check my e-mail six to eight times a day. When they get a prompt response, they think, "This guy has his act together." I want that idea of quality and sensitivity to the needs of the consumers. I want that projected through the Web site, and I think it does.

A.N.: What percent of out-of-town and in-town customers do you get?
D.L.: I would say 70 percent out of town, and 30 percent in town. The out-of-town home buyers are coming from all over the nation and the world. I have had customers from Atlanta, Michigan, Saudi Arabia, Calgary, Moscow, Australia, you name it. Many want help with rentals while they look for a home. I don't turn anyone down whether they want to rent or buy.

A.N.: How do they find you?
D.L.: Search engines, and the site has received a lot of notoriety. We have received a lot of recognition from other sites, Realtor magazines, and CAR California Association of Realtors. I don't know why I have gotten so much publicity. The site has just been up since April of last year, and I have received more than 200 e-mails from Realtors around the country. Dave has been good about getting my site properly registered with search engines. On Infoseek, I am in the top 20 when you search for Houston. I also have my URL on everything I do, from business cards to newspaper ads, so that helps, too.

A.N.: Are you linked to a chamber site?
D.L. No, I want the site to be apolitical. I try to stay away from the government, although there are some other sites that also have good information, like Houston Cybermall. When I get my results, I never fail to just marvel at where the hits are coming from. From Europe, we had 123 hits, 25 from Australia, 10 from Asia, and so on.

A.N.: How do you handle the traffic?
D.L.: I am a one-man band, and I get some help from my wife, who sold real estate for about 10 years. She helped make the site more user-friendly by telling me the feminine point of view. She is the one who said that women would love the virtual listings, and they do.

A.N.: Any downside to developing a Web site?
D.L.: It wasn't easy. It takes a lot of work, and it's not cheap. A lot of late hours, trying different things. It is very complex; the code it takes just to create the look is mind-boggling.

A.N.: Have you ever done a deal exclusively over the 'Net?
D.L.: No. I am more convinced than ever that human beings will never be completely replaced. Shopping for a home, selling a home is too subjective, too personal. You have to have a personal interface.

A.N.: How has the 'Net typically changed the way buyers shop?
D.L.: They find a lot of Web sites, and many times, I get e-mail saying they chose me because they liked my site, and I was responsive. "That is the kind of Realtor we want to work with," they say. It's interesting -- they'll find Realtors' sites, and they also search homes and find specific properties. Then they get to my site and click on virtual listings, and they love it. One of the key points of difference in my site and others is the virtual listings. They will even look at the solds and tell me, "Find me something like that."

A.N.: What is the biggest surprise that comes to you via the Web?
D.L.: I get a lot of inquiries from FSBOs who want pointers. The first pointer I give them, of course, is to list their houses with me! But I go ahead and answer their questions because I really do want to help them. The real estate business is like an iceberg. People know just enough to be dangerous, but they only see what is on the surface. They don't realize there is 10 times the diameter lurking under the water to sink your boat. A home is the most expensive purchase you are likely to make in your life. You need the help of a professional.