Local firm deploys new technology giving clients an edge in competitive home sales market Chicago, IL (September 27, 2006) – Real Living Helios Realty, the Chicago network partner of the nation’s fourth-largest real estate firm, today announced the launch of video podcasting as its latest innovation in marketing and selling the firm’s residential listings. Video podcasts meet the demands of the modern home buyer, and provide sellers with a competitive advantage in marketing their homes. Real Living Helios Realty becomes the first company in the Chicagoland area to introduce this new technology to real estate sales. This new technology answers the call -- Statistics show that a vast majority of home buyers – more than 80 percent, according to the latest surveys by the National Association of Realtors – rely on the internet as their primary source of information. Further, Chicago home buyers live a busy lifestyle, and are continually seeking new ways to make their search for a home as efficient and enjoyable as possible. Video podcasts respond to these demands, allowing users to subscribe and receive multimedia broadcasts automatically over the internet. Subscribers rely on these podcasts as a way to stay connected with their home search. “Real estate is changing, as new technologies deliver information on demand, connecting buyers and sellers in brand new ways,” said Joe Magliochetti, principal at Real Living Helios Realty. “This is a new step in the evolution of real estate marketing, and one that we have eagerly put to work for our clients.” Home buyers can sign up at the Real Living Helios Realty web site (http://www.RealLivingHelios.com) to automatically receive new listing podcasts in the neighborhood they're looking whenever they sync up their handheld device. First-time visitors to the site can watch and listen to the podcasts right on their computer, too, and can receive e-mail notifications when new podcasts are available if they don't have a player or don't "synchronize" their device on a regular basis. Chicago’s home shoppers can head to iTunes, or their favorite search engine and search for “Real Living Helios Podcasts.” Some other sites where these podcasts can be found are podcast.Yahoo.com, podcast.net and podcastalley.com, just to name a few of the more than 50 places on the Web where these are available. For a sample, visit: http://tinyurl.com/ehrl8 With the new technology, Real Living Helios Realty delivers listing content over the web through one-time downloads or via an RSS feed. Like a television broadcasts individual episodes, an RSS feed contains individual listings in video format. The result is a dynamic virtual tour complete with music that is easy to view and share. Through the Real Living Helios Realty web site, home buyers and sellers can create a free subscription to the broadcasts of their choice, and view the episodes directly on their computer or handheld device, including an iPod®, Treo®, Pocket PC, or web-enabled phone. This new tool is the latest in the technology advantage being built by Real Living Helios Realty, where agents have access to an innovative suite of marketing tools via the company’s industry leading intranet. In 2005, Real Living was recognized as the Most Innovative Real Estate Brokerage by industry publisher Inman News. "Video podcasting is another reason why our clients know we can market their property like no one else,” says Magliochetti. “Today’s market is characterized by increasingly tech-savvy home buyers looking for detailed, on-demand information, so putting these podcasts to work can be the difference needed to get homes sold faster, to the right buyer." The firm’s video podcasts are distributed to more than 15 major directories and search engines that expose listings to an entire new audience. This extra exposure and the technology behind syndication greatly improves organic search results in sites like Google and Yahoo, resulting in even more visibility. This positive loop is the goal of effective online lead generation, which is exactly what homebuyers need to gain an edge in a competitive sales market. The rapid adoption of podcasting has been well documented. According to Forbes magazine, Apple Computer sold more than 30 million iPods in 2005, and is expected to sell at least 40 million more in 2006, including millions featuring video capability. After adding the ability to access podcasts to the iTunes® web directory in 2005, Apple racked up over one million subscriptions in just a few days. Real Estate is a topic that dominates the investing category in the iTunes podcast directory, further validating consumer demand for this new content delivery method. About Real Living Helios Realty Real Living Helios Realty represents one of the nation's most dynamic real estate firms in its entry into the Chicago market. With offices in the West Loop and Lakeview – and a third coming this fall in River North, the company is expanding rapidly to connect sellers and buyers all over Chicago. Real Living Helios Realty is a franchise member of Real Living, Inc., the fourth-largest real estate firm in the country. Real Living, Inc. includes more than 5,000 sales consultants and employees, more than $9 billion in annual sales and more than 140 offices throughout the Midwest and Southeast. Learn more at http://www.RealLivingHelios.com.