RealTalk had its genesis on Labor Day Weekend, 1995.

I was consulting with the REALTORS Information Network, a wholly owned subsidiary of NAR and was tasked with creating the online community component for the "RIN Network Desktop," a proprietary online service for REALTORS...what we referred to as the "private side of RIN." (REALTOR.com was referred to as the "public side of RIN").

On that Labor Day Weekend, I was able to assemble some of the best online real estate minds in the country in San Diego for a "working weekend."

In attendance were:

Myself

John Reilly, who I had only met in person one time prior to that weekend.

Mike Barnett, who I had not met in person until that weekend...having had "online conversations" with him on AOL (MBBarnett@AOL.com).

Jack Harper, who I had not met in person until that weekend...having known him online (WinPower@AOL.com) Richard Janssen - President of HomeSelect and the company that morphed into REALTOR.com Becky Swann - who I had met in person at a buyer broker conference in Boston a few years earlier, and who went on to create IRED.

Julie Garton Good - Author, trainer, and friend of John Reilly Ron Rothenberg - our online community guru and wealth of knowledge, who I only knew in an online environment prior to that weekend Linda Yakker - Tech consultant from Booz Allen Hamilton, the Technology Partner of RIN

From the meeting that weekend, The Real Estate Electronic Publishing

Company (now known as InternetCrusade, which is our DBA) presented to the REALTORS Information Network (RIN) a 90 page document and plan for publishing and training.

It was the blueprint for what we envisioned would become the online community for RIN (and NAR). We called the community RealTalk. The plan also included a training component or technology certification (The forerunner of e-PRO dubbed RCR, which stood for RIN Certified REALTOR and RCB, RIN Certified Broker). By August of 1996, NAR decided to scale down RIN and give the management contract for REALTOR.com to RealSelect (which evolved into HomeStore).

By October of 1995 we had the RealTalk "boards" up and running and a prominent list of moderators and topics of interest...The formal launch was at the NAR Convention and Trade Show in Atlanta.

The technology delivery vehicle for the original RealTalk was an online service that could be accessed over telephone lines (typically 9600

Baud) and the software was referred to as the "RIN Network Desktop (RND)". It was similar to a scaled down version of AOL...proprietary in nature, with six separate areas...e-Mail, Library, Geodata, Internet, Mall, and RealTalk.

When the RIN scale back occurred and the RIN Network Desktop was discontinued, Real Estate Electronic Publishing Company (now doing business as InternetCrusade) decided to fund and continue to create what we believed would become the number one online real estate community.

Most of the funding would be our time and expertise. Online training and community had become our passion... but we had lost our source of funding and needed a low cost technology alternative to the RIN Network Desktop. The technology we turned to on our restricted budget was the listserv. As it turned out, since most people check their e-mail multiple times a day, it was the perfect way to grow this community and encourage broad participation. We also had to grow the population which we did by going on a "Crusade," speaking at state and local associations across the country and at all the major meetings of the National Association of REALTORS.

Many of you on this list will remember the original RealTalk and its concept. It was well on its way to success when the plan was presented formally in our document entitled "Training and Publishing Plan."

Here is an excerpt from that document:

RealTalk

When it comes to online services, content is king. At the heart of this plan to provide top quality content to RIN's business and communication network are the National Electronic Publishers, a team of whom are arguably considered the most highly qualified individuals serving in this capacity on any online service in the world. RIN's Electronic Publishing Team of Saul Klein, John Reilly, Jack Harper and Mike Barnett have over 100 years experience in the fields of real estate, communication, law, and technology (see resumes in Supporting Documents Section). Together they lead a group of nationally known real estate personalities and subject area experts, who serve as Moderators, or discussion group leaders. In order to insure that content is current, accurate, and responsive to the immediate needs of the user, procedures have been set up to evaluate existing discussion corners, create new ones, and stimulate increased participation.

The current structure of RealTalk is as follows:

16 "Corners" (technically these are known as banners)

26 "Discussion areas" (technically known as books) 160 "Discussions (threads)"

What makes RealTalk different from most bulletin boards is that each area is monitored by an appropriate subject area expert, and the overall content is reviewed numerous times daily by the publishing staff.

In addition to the on going discussions, action plans have been drafted to create and implement a series of online seminars using expert panelists on hot topics and forums on "hot products".

A rich feature of these seminars is the ability to tap the wealth of knowledge of the audience, many of whom add a fresh perspective to the expert's discussions. Rarely is there time in live presentations to respond to audience questions and entertain comments. Because the online seminars are open for a two week period, there is ample time for all to participate.

Many authors/panelists are excited about the opportunity to obtain immediate feedback from the audience. In some cases, this direct contact with the end user motivates the experts to redirect their thinking about key issues. Transcripts from these seminars will be archived in the library for later review or downloading.

These online seminars can vary between open posting and narrow cast postings. This presents an opportunity to charge a fee for participation, which fee can partly be used to attract some of the more visible "for hire"

industry celebrities.

Also planned are online interviews with top industry personalities, including authors of leading edge books (e.g., John Tucillo). In some cases, technology vendors will pay a fee to be interviewed online and have the ability to explain the advantages of their products in direct dialogue with the consumer. Further content is made available by maintaining a software library for downloading helpful shareware and freeware, with the Publishers making certain the files are tested and scanned for virus prior to being made available in this forum. There is a RealTalk library to archive files and articles by Moderators and other contributors (including downloadable pass alongs, like checklists and forms that users can give to clients and prospects).

Recognizing that content is only valuable if it is easy to find and use, RealTalk will develop online features to facilitate the task of filtering down the information relevant to individual users; for example, use of the ticker tape screen; a splash screen for highlights; a "personal alert"

system. The most important user tool will be an efficient Search function, to identify by key words those topics appearing throughout the RealTalk discussions, library, and even RINmall. As a supplement to the RIN Training program, RealTalk will encourage online discussion of user problems, issues and shortcuts demonstrating how to use RealTalk to solve a problem and obtain free advice.

The original plan is closer to reality today than ever. Our blogs and new community tools, coupled with our continuing list servs will help us move online community in the real estate industry to the next level.

Thanks to all of you who have played and continue to play a part in this vision.

Saul

Saul Klein

CEO, InternetCrusade