Working the Web clicks with firms.

Welcome to the world of real estate 2.0. In a business often derided as populated by Luddites, a new breed of publicists, agents, and brokers are bringing the internet to residential real estate.

YouTube, blog, and java are not words commonly used in real estate, but a web award nomination for Corcoran, an internet video that sold a $1.5 million apartment for Century 21 New York Metro, and innovative web content delivered on the Barak Realty website are just some of the latest initiatives that will soon have a lot of brokers asking their kids for help with the computer.

At this point, every residential real estate company has a website. Most are rather simple, containing only property search features and the biographies of some of the agents. Corcoran, on the other hand, has created a tool-filled website that raises the ante on what a company can do with the web.

Under Matthew Shadbolt, the director of internet marketing, the Corcoran web team has designed a website that augments the usual property search feature with some other innovative tools.

"Cocoran has always been a very technology forward thinking company. We've always been very keen to adopt new technologies. We have been focusing on [the website] very intensely over the last year. Not only building the content of the site, but adding some of the new brand conditioning that has been coming out since February," said Shadbolt.

One of the interesting features of the Corcoran website is an agent finder. Rather than just posting a listing of the different agents available at Corcoran, the website allows users to search different criterion to find the agent that is right for them.

The "My Dream Home" feature also goes beyond what is usually seen on residential real estate websites. It allows visitors to input the specifications of their ideal domicile. Customers browse a dynamic map of Manhattan, select the features they are looking for, and when a property that fits the description becomes available, the customer is notified. It is, in effect, a reverse of the search feature common to the other

"The 'My Dream Home' option is really a chance for us to work in an area beyond search," said Shadbolt. "I think that more and more people are using sites like cocoran.com to start a home search. It is a great way for people to become more informed about the vocabulary about what is required to buy a house."

For Corcoran, this is only the beginning. Shadbolt indicated that, in the future, the company hopes to add tools that will integrate more fully with all of the capabilities of Google Maps and Google Earth, and they are also considering adding some more Web 2.0-like features, such as live update.

At Century 21 New York Metro, Web 2.0 has already made the company millions. Publicist, Kelly Kreth, was recently given the task of marketing a particularly complex apartment. Believing that no text description could adequately do the property justice, she instead produced a video on YouTube that involved an interview with the designer of the apartment, and a walk through with Philip Kiracofe, the agent in charge of the sale.

"I came to Mike Simon [president and CEO of C21NY Metro], and I said, 'This apartment has so many bells and whistles.' It was so unique that text would not encapsulate all the distinct elements. The only way we could adequately show the apartment was with film," said Kreth.

Early on, there was some resistance within the firm to the idea of producing a video for the Internet. Some members of the C21 team who were unfamiliar with the technology didn't understand how customers would find the video.

However, all speculation about the potency of the technology was quickly put to rest when, three days after the video was posted on the Internet, and one day after the apartment was placed on the market, the property was sold for $1.5 million in cash.

The video was so successful, Kreth has already planned to produce two more for C21NY Metro. The firm's president and the publicist are both interested in expanding the use of Web 2.0 by C21NY Metro. They are mulling over the idea of putting video biographies and introductions to agents on the website, so that potential customers can become better acquainted with their agent before they meet. Simon said he would like to take the video to the next logical step: the production of virtual tours for the video iPod.

The initial resistance at C21 to adopting Web 2.0 technology is indicative of the feeling of many in some of the city's larger firms. Simon said that agents were initially afraid that the developers of the technology would begin to take a cut of the profits, and that a combination of technologies would eventually make the agent obsolete.

However, once those predictions didn't come to pass, the agents began to see that they had nothing to fear from the changing paradigm.

At smaller firms, there appears to have been less resistance. In fact, it is the Internet that has allowed smaller companies to compete with their larger rivals. By being more nimble and open to change, boutique firms have been among the most creative in using new Internet developments to be more competitive.

Barak Dunayer, president and founder of Barak Realty, was one of the first to use the internet to take on large competitors. "On the website, you can look at the floor plan and take a virtual tour. The virtual tour weeds out people who might otherwise want to see the apartment in person. They can see the apartment on the Internet, and if they don't like it, they don't take up an hour of an agent's time. This allows us to maximize our resources."

The Barak Realty website also has a Comparative Market Assessment program that allows potential buyers to look at other similar properties in the area they are considering moving to get a better idea about how other apartments are priced.

Prudential Douglas Elliman has a Home Value Estimator (HVE) function on its website. The HVE gives website visitors an estimate of the market value for their home, as well as information on their neighborhood's real estate market. Based on closed sales data and public tax records, the HVE calculates the estimated market value for its customers' most important investments--their homes. In addition, the program displays a map of recent home sales in the area.

The HVE also allows the consumer to get a bird's eye view on the subject property, including up-close and aerial views. Dottie Herman, president and CEO of Prudential Douglas Elliman. said, "Internet visitors especially want tools to help them with their real estate decisions. Our Home Value Estimator is easy to use and rich with relevant details."

Halstead's award-winning "live" website gives users listings for over 250,000 luxury Manhattan residences that are updated every six seconds. The viewer can move freely through the apartment, inspect minute details such as window and closet placement and establish a genuine feel for the apartment. Searching options consist of exact matches, close matches and similar listings to your specified search.

Then, of course, there is the international reach of the internet. Being able tap into customers from across the country and around the globe was previously the sole provenance of large, multinational corporations. Now, thanks to advances in the Internet, companies of all sizes are capable of connecting to anyone, anywhere. The ubiquity of a global reach is another tool that levels the playing field, allowing smaller companies to compete in ways they were previously unable to.

The Internet in general, and Web 2.0 in particular, have radically altered society, and real estate should be no different. But whereas the recording studios and record stores are being driven out of business by the march of technology, residential real estate agents need not fear.

"The real asset of these firms is the agents' personalities. You don't get a cash deal if you're a moron, no matter how nice the property is. It will never be an Expedia," said Kreth. "In this business, people still like a smile and a handshake, and until they invent a computer that can do that, I don't think agents need to worry."