By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@thecitizennews.com

It seems like everywhere you turn these days, a “dot.com” sign shows up.

During last week's Super Bowl, a large number of the commercials touted a new Internet company that would make your life increasingly easier.

One of the biggest users of the new technology is the real estate community, according to a new study by the National Association of Realtors.

The association mailed a six-page questionnaire to more than 40,000 members of the association to garner their responses.

The results show just how dependent the industry has become on the Internet.

Among the findings:

” Since 1996, the number of Realtors using the Internet has jumped from 37 percent to 62 percent.

” Companies are investing more in real estate hardware and software. The total value of spending for technology by Realtors in 1998 was pegged at $500 million.

” Real estate professionals who use a computer earn $22,600 more than professionals who do not use technology.

” Nearly 61 percent of consumers say shopping for real estate on-line saves them time.

” Nearly nine out of 10 Realtors own or lease a computer.

” Seventy-two percent of real estate firms and 57 percent of Realtors reported generating some of their business from on-line sites.

The survey also generated interesting data about the consumers who shop on-line for real estate. The findings indicate that more buyers shop for property below $200,000 than in any category, while only 15 percent look for property more than $200,000.

Those customers who choose to peruse the Web for their next homes also have very definite ideas about what they want to see on a company's web page. The most valuable feature, according to the home buyers' survey, is detailed property information, followed by neighborhood and community information. The respondents also said multiple pictures of the property and a map of the home location are important.

Not only are customers looking at properties on-line, they're also inquiring about mortgages. Fifty-six percent of home buyers proclaimed the Internet as being “very useful” in finding a mortgage. A survey conducted by Forrester Research predicts that on-line mortgages will make up 10 percent of the market by 2003.

Locally, companies like Pathway Communities are making their presence known on the web. A click of the mouse on www.summergrove.com and residents can find out about the new high-tech community developing in eastern Coweta County.

Many agents also have their own home pages. By typing in “Fayette real estate” on a search engine, interested buyers can find a huge number of sources for real estate in the area.

The Internet is ideal for residents moving into the county from faraway locations; it provides tours of homes and enough facts and figures to provide several choices for a buyer.

The study concludes that technology will play a bigger role in real estate transactions and that more and more buyers will be surfing the web to find their dream homes.