When 26-year real estate veteran Tom Conway first started to use the Internet, he was impressed by how efficiently the new medium produced leads via e-mail. But, it wasn't until he attended a National Association of Realtors convention last year, that he realized that e-mail, as a prospecting and nurturing tool, could be raised to an art form.

"I noticed that people have pretty e-mail," recalls Conway, "but they send the same thing (mailings) at the same time to everyone. I wanted something more personalized."

Working with his own programmer, Conway set out to design a Web-based e-mail program that would produce attractive and informative e-mail "drip campaigns," and these could be customized to each individual prospect. Creating over 15 campaigns, 150 letter templates, and letterheads, Conway devised time-released contact notes in "campaigns" for every occasion appropriate to where prospects were in the buying-selling process.

Prospects are classified, and then moved to new classifications when the time comes. Typical campaigns might include "buyer after closing," "buyer first time," or "seller campaign" or "seller under contract." Agents can edit the campaigns for each prospect, by date and topic. And that's just the beginning. Agents can pick all contacts or individual campaigns to send an e-mail blast. "This is a total communication device for Realtors and customers," says Conway. "It is a campaign as opposed to a one-time e-mail."

Dubbed the InterSend Automated Internet Response System (InterSend Air System) Conway's creation is a business tool that allows agents to control their own e-mail, online address book, auto-responders to help capture casual Web site visitors into clients, and it works with their existing Web sites.

Conway says he sells up to 135 homes a year and developed InterSend to help him save time. Then he realized the potential for other Realtors. Conway plans on testing the agent subscription market at about $29 a month, with the first 30 days free.

Like other dotcom dreamers, Conway is learning that even agent-to-agent sales projections don't always meet expectations. So far, three agents have signed up out of 1,000 top producer test market that he recently blasted, but he's not discouraged. It takes a while to build a brand, and the product isn't quite ready for prime time. Conway says he plans on adding upgrades, such as the agents' pictures and logos, as well as other communication tools. InterSend could also use a little work on the graphics and agent-to-agent communications as well as some finish out on the lead generator package, which he says is all coming.

"I want to make it the best out there," he says. "This is so much work, and it takes so long to build these things to make sure they don't have bugs."

One thing about the dotcom world, is you never know what's going to be the next big thing, but lead generation packages have to be one category worth watching.

Plus, you gotta love those pioneering garage entrepreneurs.