The past year has been a period of substantial change for both real estate and the Internet. More people, new services, and additional sites are now online, including a number worthy of mention and recognition.

The list below reflects a series of tough choices -- we saw many sites and services which are well done and provide great benefit to users. But given a limited amount of space and categories, some stand out more than others, including the winners below.

Best Online Lender:

E-LOAN - Low rates, multiple lenders, plus a consumer-friendly platform and agent-friendly features make E-LOAN a winner. The approval process created by E-LOAN using Freddie Mac's underwriting program streamlines the loan process. The site is committed to cutting the time and paper-heavy loan transaction down to size, and is clearly putting its research and money where its mouth is. This process could impact all lenders by expanding the "paper" guidelines, and making customized loans more fair to those at either end of the A, B, or C paper scale.

Best Online Financial Publisher:

HSH.com - A financial publisher is not a lender, and HSH does not make loans. Instead, it tracks rates and programs nationwide, and offers extensive consumer information. A major resource used by leading newspapers and magazines, online pioneer HSH is a valuable resource for consumers and professionals alike.

Best Mover and Shaker:

Michael Russer - Behind the scenes and while juggling a hectic speaking schedule, Russer has tirelessly served two large real estate organizations this year, prodding both into implementing industry-changing initiatives. The ARELLO "Best Internet Practices" and the forthcoming e-PRO certification from the NAR both reflect his valuable input and insight. Few people are more committed to the improvement of the real estate industry than this caring, agenda-free innovator.

Best Technology Trainers:

Stephen M. Canale and Matthew J. Ferrara - We like 'em both. If you want to learn about real estate -- and about how to succeed with real estate online -- Canale and Ferrara are both knowledgeable, interesting, provocative, and insightful. Catch either or both if you get the chance -- you'll be ahead.

Best Interpersonal Communications Trainer:

Joeann Fossland - As Internet-savvy as any trainer ought to be, Joeann puts the heart back into real estate with useful business tips from how to build a business to how to handle your emotions.

Best Real Estate IPO:

Homestore.com - The ultimate real estate portal is born, making rich entities out of MLS partners, brokers and agents, not to mention the NAR. Starting at $20 a share -- an IPO price berated as too high by critics and competitors -- HomeStore shares reached as high as $109 in 1999. The corporate parent of Realtor.com, HomeStore is the first real estate portal to find IPO success. Traders call the dominant player in a stock category "gorilla." If that's true, Homestore is the King Kong of real estate stocks.

Best Real Estate Site: Realtor.com - It's the biggest realty portal in terms of listings, usage, and media coverage, the site that puts real estate on the online map.

Best Place for Listings:

Homeadvisor - Brokers and agents can list their homes directly and the listing directs the consumer back to the listing agent free of charge. Realtors can have their cake and eat it, too.

Best Place for Agents to List Themselves:

Agent Locator - This marketing service lists agents in the way consumers like to search by city, town and community. It also offers equal showcasing for buyer brokers, exclusive buyer's agents, and single agents because the directory is not tied to listings. Listings are the next button over under Homes.

Best Site To Watch In 2000:

CompleteHome.com - CompleteHome is a blossoming Cendant property with access to one-third of the brokerage community through such Cendant brands as Century 21, Coldwell Banker Commercial, Coldwell Banker, and ERA. The site has numerous features planned for consumers and agents, and it will be marketed through thousands of local realty offices. This site could emerge as the next gorilla, a major online force in the coming year.

Best Franchise Site:

RE/MAX.com. This is a site which incorporates both public areas as well as a private "extranet" for associates and franchise information. Given the enormous number of listings and offices represented by RE/MAX member brokers, this site is a major online property.

Best Franchise Site Feature: Virtual Open House - Coldwell Banker. Virtual Open House takes property information to a new level, making decisions that much quicker and easier for serious Web home buyers. With home inspection reports, appraisals, 3D home tours and disclosure reports posted online for interested buyers to see, signing a contract is only mouse clicks away.

Best Consumer Experience:

RealEstate.com. Blessed with one of the best realty names online, this site continues to build out by offering new features and gaining consumer recognition. Ranked third among listing sites, after Realtor.com and HomeAdvisor, according to TopTenLinks.com, RealEstate.com is an innovative site with much to offer consumers.

Best Online Marketing For Brokers:

Best Image. Best Image has a great idea that is well-done: Personal marketing for individual brokers through web-based promotion. Best Image produces content-rich sites for more than 500 top producers, and then markets them through it's Number1Expert.com marketing program with ads on leading portals and a listing in their directory for consumers.

Best Online Initiative:

The NAR for the e-PRO certification - This new certification transcends politics and lifts Realtors up where they belong. According to e-PRO architect Michael Russer, the curriculum will be challenging. Kudos to the NAR for offering to co-brand it with large franchisers. The strategic move will prevent watered-down copycat certifications from appearing meaning that the certification will have real meaning to consumers as well as professionals.

Best Sign Of the Future:

Realtor Magazine Online - Unlike NAR's password-protected OneRealtorPlace, Realtor Magazine Online is open to anyone with an interest in real estate. It may well represent the next stage in NAR's online efforts, a site which is easy to use, avoids frames, and eliminates the need for complex password rituals.

Best Individual Broker Site:

Mary Ryan Properties- This Renton, WA site represents what you want to see online -- ease-of-use, great design, extensive information, local data, and property listings.

Best Online PR:

Hugh Siler. We get a ton of news releases, e-mails, faxes, and phone calls from promoters seeking attention for given sites and services. Many of the PR pros who contact us do excellent work projecting client interests and understanding the needs of online media. The best we've seen is Siler, an individual practitioner who represents HomeAdvisor.com as well as other clients. Siler presents lucid, reasonable, and credible positions for his clients, and is prepared to provide addition information and verification when more data is needed.

Have your own "best" candidates? Think we need more categories? Your suggestions are welcome -- just send an e-mail to and we'll be happy to take a look.

Published: December 27, 1999

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