Winnipeg RE/MAX agent Gord Kawecki has enjoyed much success with his real estate web site - he had 12 deals in 2001 from the House and Home Winnipeg Real Estate Page. A couple of weeks ago Gord and his site were featured in the local newspaper
after the reporter had found his site on the internet and was impressed by the content Gord offered.

Here is an excerpt from the article - which gives some clues to reasons for Gord's success...

<< The comprehensive website features specific information about the individual agent as well as more general information
for both buyers and sellers, such as a listings search, market analysis and home evaluation services. There are also great
links to other useful sites, such as mortgage specialists, home
inspection services, interest rate forecasts, legal information
and even an international real estate directory.

Gord Kawecki took over the site, which can be found at http://www.results-net.com/winnipeg/, two years ago. So far,
Kawecki says the website has worked really well for his
business. He's done a deal a month with people he's met solely
due to the website.

"These are people that never would have found me in a million
years," he says. "But they found me because they were surfing
the Net and came across my site."

Four of Kawecki's recent sales have been to people from out of
town who have used the Internet to find a Winnipeg real estate
agent. Kawecki has worked with clients from as far away as
Britain and Mississippi to help them find a house in Winnipeg.
Much of their communication through their house hunt was done
through the Internet.

"About 90 per cent of the people who find my website want to
receive information by e-mail," Kawecki notes.

The downside of dealing with people over the Internet is that
it's rather anonymous, he adds. Kawecki provides people with the
information they request and then trusts that they will deal
with him when they actually buy or sell a house. It's a risk but
once he establishes regular e-mail contact, Kawecki says he has
about a 75-per-cent success rate in doing deals with those
people.

"I'm diligent but not pushy," he says. "And hopefully they
reward me with their business."

Although the bulk of Kawecki's business is still based on
referrals and meeting people face to face, he says the website
is a growing part of his business and he expects that to
continue in the future. >>

Gord does not worry about the "inner workings" of his web site
nor does he spend his time worrying about his site being found
in the search engines even though that is how his prospects find
him. That is because Gord's site is provided by RNC Internet
Services - http://www.rncinternet.com/real_estate.html - and the site management and search engine positioning is all taken care of so
Gord can concentrate on following up with his prospects and selling real estate.

[This message has been edited by doug (edited 01-07-2002).]