If the purpose of your web site is to increase your business, you should strive to respond to all e-mail leads as close to instantly as possible. And auto-responders don't count. Actually, they make it easier for your competitors.

Put yourself in the shoes of an online consumer, looking for real estate information. You're on the Web, surfing around. You find a few sites about real estate for the town or neighborhood in which you actually want to live. Suppose you see a listing that interests you? You fill out a form: "Can you tell me more about this property?" You click and off it goes.

You keep surfing. You find another Realtor's web site about the area; there's an awful lot of them, you notice. As you are looking at this other Realtor's site, your e-mail program lets you know: "You have new e-mail messages."

Of course, you check to see what it is. It's from the Realtor you just sent the e-mail to! Amazing! You read it with anticipation: "Thanks for asking for more information on the property! You've already seen all the basic details of the home, but what the listing doesn't mention is that the kitchen has skylights, making it really bright and open, along with a great walk-in pantry. Appliances are brand new. Do you have kids? It's only three blocks away from a great school! Plus this is a choice neighborhood. The other neighborhoods have all been increasing in value - this one is next. You can get into this neighborhood before prices start to jump..."

You think, "Yes, I have kids! Wow, close to a good school, that's great..." Excitedly you e-mail the Realtor back: "Yes, I have two children, ages 4 and 7. Is that an elementary school? What other homes are available in that neighborhood?"

It's done. The online relationship between Realtor and homeowner has begun. The Realtor responded personally, and basically instantly, and in return you divulged real and personal information. It won't be long before you send your phone number. The other Realtors never had a chance.

And forget auto-responders! If you think they cut any ice with consumers, you're mistaken. Imagine again you are the same online consumer, and you just sent out an e-mail to a Realtor you've never met. Just like before, your e-mail program alerts you shortly after the e-mail was sent, "You've got mail!" Only this time the e-mail reads, "Thanks for e-mailing me! I'm a great Realtor. I'll get back to you soon!" How many heartbeats does it take you to hit "delete" and go back to the other Realtor who responded personally to you?

Now I know that responding to e-mails instantly requires you to be sitting at the computer all day long. But online success takes commitment. If you talk to any Realtors who actually make good money from the Web, they'll tell you the same thing: You have to dedicate yourself to it. A Web site isn't magic. You have to work it properly, just like anything in business.

What many successful online Realtors do is hire an assistant. The assistant sits in front of the computer, stimulating and starting relationships with potential clients via e-mail when you can't. I know many top Realtors who have two or more assistants handling leads in this manner.

If your site is generating leads but you are having a hard time converting leads to sales, it could be something as simple as making sure you respond to e-mails personally, and, ideally, as close to instantly as possible. I can't tell you how often I hear about how poorly Realtors respond to e-mails. It's almost a cliché: "I sent out 10 e-mails and only one Realtor got back to me the same day! Most never even responded." I know one highly successful online Realtor - with two full-time assistants - who regularly tests how responsive other Realtors are, just to check up on her competition. She has told me that most Realtors respond in either 6 or thirteen days - if at all! I'll tell you this: If you check your e-mail once a week or twice a month, you will never make a dime off your Web site.

Published: April 12, 2002

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Lawrence Schoeffler is Vice President of Dominion Homes Web Services and founder of NUMBER1EXPERT. Dominion Homes Web Services includes Advanced Access, Agent Advantage by Homes.com, and Best Image Marketing, and is a division of Dominion Enterprises. Advanced Access is the industry leader in agent websites. More agents invest in an Advanced Access website than any other. Agent Advantage is the official agent website service of Homes.com, one of the most popular real estate portals in America. NUMBER1EXPERT by Best Image offers America's Top Performing Web Sites, with traffic and leads unequalled in the industry, sold exclusively to Top Selling Agents. Email Lawrence at .