new study from the National Association of

Realtors is shedding light on what is considered

a "typical" real estate firm.

Fayette

County Board of Realtors association executive

said she just received the report and that some

of the statistics do mirror some of the real

estate firms scattered throughout the county.

While

emphasizing that no two companies are alike, the

study sampled 30,000 Realtors from around the

country to try and see some similar

characteristics of companies.

According

to the study, the typical real estate firm:

� Is a single-office facility

with 1,250 square feet of office space.

� Specializes in residential

brokerage.

� Has been in business for 13

years.

� Has a sales force of four

agents who are independent contractors.

� Provides in-house training

and educational opportunities for their sales

associates.

� Uses cellular phone and/or

pagers to communicate with agents and clients.

� Operates a web page to

attract customers.

� Generates at least 1 percent

of its business from on-line services.

The

stock market boom and strong housing market have

also contributed to real estate firms'

profitability. Of the firms surveyed, 59 percent

said their profitability had increased from 1998

to 1999.

In

the Southeast region, 59 percent reported

increased profits, while 26 percent stayed the

same and 15 percent reported decreased profits.

Even

though profits are increasing, the study did not

make any conclusions about where the exact future

of real estate companies is headed. One group

feels that only large companies offering a

variety of services will survive, while other

experts believe smaller companies serving niches

in the market are the way to survive.

The

biggest question seems to be the impact of

technology on the industry.

Coldwell

Banker Fulton Realty owner/broker Jim Fulton

explained the Internet technology in the real

estate business is changing everyday and his

company is trying to provide the best service for

his customers.

At

his company's web site,

www.realtor.com/Atlanta/cbfultonrealty, customers

are greeted with a colorful home page that shows

today's interest rates, along with a guide of the

available services.

The

site features pictures of all the company's

listings and offers detailed descriptions of the

homes.

While

the Internet helps the real estate agents by

getting their listings and names out to the

public, Fulton explained it also brings the real

estate company more informed customers.

"We're

having a lot of potential buyers coming into the

office who have already picked out their

homes," he said.

Some

of the homes displayed on the Internet also offer

a virtual tour, which shows a buyer the inside of

the home, along with views on all sides of the

home.

The

wealth of information available also spawns more

questions from potential buyers on the

neighborhoods and other amenities, which helps

keep the agents savvy, he added.

Another

recent survey by the National Association of

Realtors bears out Fulton's thoughts.

The

survey shows that 66 percent of customers who use

the Internet as part of their house hunting

routine inquire about a house they've discovered

on-line.

Only

27 percent ask agents about a general listing of

homes in the region.

The

Realtors are starting to believe in the power of

the new technology. Nearly 75 percent said that

Internet marketing is an important feature of

their listing preparations.

With

technology changing daily, the

"typical" real estate firm of today may

be totally changed tomorrow. Only time will tell.