Brick and mortar brokers claim that there is no way an e-broker can give as much service to the consumer as they can get from a true professional and that is why traditional brokers and their agents are worth full service fees. e-Brokers counter that they are true professionals - they've just trimmed the fat from operational costs and can pass the savings along to consumers.

Recent announcements from two privately-held e-brokerages are signaling a new trend, that the battle for consumer dominance may lie more in customer service that e-brokers originally thought.

Bricks and clicks start-up eHome, which calls itself a full-service real estate brokerage, has announced the introduction of its new Client Services Division. Operating from eHome's 11 regional sales centers, the division hopes to set its brokerage apart from other full-service real estate brokerages.

According to Betsy Hooper, eHome's director of Client Services, the new division will have a dedicated staff which till take incoming client calls and conduct live chat interactions via the Internet, and will be "focused on nothing but meeting our client's needs and exceeding their expectations."

The new division's first initiative is the "First Touch" client contact program, which will "set expectations, educate, and inform new and potential clients on the benefits and advantages of using eHome." The division will also schedule appointments for buyer consultations with one of eHome's local field agents or schedule welcome calls with a local eHome desk agent for those parties selling their home.

In eHome's hierarchy of agents, field agents are better paid, more experienced agents who handle personal interaction with consumers. The desk agents facilitate transaction paperwork through eHome's proprietary transaction management system.

HomesThatClick is also working on customer service issues and will be developing additional customer service capabilities, including customer follow-up, loyalty and satisfaction programs, as well as implementing the company's call center and electronic relationship management system.

The company is currently focused on serving the for-sale-by-owner segment of the home selling population, and is beefing up its message with the addition of former AT&T executive, Pamela Reising who has joined the company as senior vice president of client contact and relationship services. Reising's main focus will be to develop the company's customer service capabilities.

Virtual brokerage requires that the consumer is willing to give up some aspects of full service in order to enjoy reduced savings. Are the new customer initiatives signaling that consumers want it all and is the effort to shore up customer service too little too late for some online brokers?

It may be for some companies. Virtual brokerage zipRealty's president Scott Kucirek announced in Business Week in July 2000 that one of zipRealty's e-broker competitors was refused a next round of venture capital. A key official came to Kucirek asking if the well-funded start-up would like to buy equity in the company. He says he passed on the opportunity, but Lending Tree didn't. It acquired key assets of HomeSpace Services, Inc. for a total purchase price $12 million in a combination of cash and stock.

An unfounded rumor holds that a California e-broker startup with brokerage locations in two key California cities is also looking for buy-out help. The e-brokerage is talking with an out-of-state startup, who is weighing the merits of penetrating the already e-broker-rich California market.

Published: August 23, 2000

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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.