Imagine that you're trying to locate a back issue of your real estate firm's publication. You could flip through a pile of issues, page by page, until you find what you're looking for, or you could type a few key words into your company's Intranet system and let the search engine do the work for you. Or perhaps you need information from a fellow sales associate in another state. Instead of hopping on a plane for a face-to-face meeting, you log on instead and chat 'till your heart's content. It's a shortcut that saves time, money, and most important, it eliminates stress.

Intranet systems are making life easier for real estate agents in countless ways. Century 21's "21 online" Intranet system is one of the most comprehensive of its kind. More than 14,000 Century 21 system members -- including brokers, managers, and agents -- are registered for 21 online. Adam Karp, Century 21's manager for technology marketing development and support, has the dizzying responsibility of leading all of the company's online initiatives.

Just 18 months ago, nothing at Century 21 was online; now, all communication at Century 21 -- with the exception of financial reporting -- is conducted online. And if there's anything at the company that hasn't gone online yet, "then it should be," says Karp, who joined Century 21 in June 1996 prior to 21 online's launch. "From our perspective, 21 online has been a total revolution in how we communicate with brokers and how they communicate with themselves."

21 online, optional for Century 21 employees, is a free service packaged with America Online (AOL). "One of the reasons we went with AOL is that it's a lot more secure," Karp says. Part of that built-in security, aside from the obvious password to log on, is the 21 online's tiered structure. Various levels within 21 online are designated for the different sectors of the company; for example, centurion, which is the highest level of management within the company, is its own sector. Only members of that sector are allowed access.

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Written By Courtney RonanPage 1

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Published: October 24, 1997

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