Florida Association of Realtors(R) Wins National Web Site Award for Outstanding Member Service

ORLANDO, Fla., May 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The Florida Association of
Realtors'(R) (FAR) new "Great Time to Buy Florida" microsite of its member
Web site floridarealtors.org won top honors nationally in the prestigious
"2008 Outstanding Realtor Association Web Site Contest," sponsored by the
National Association of Realtors(R) (NAR) and Realtor(R) AE (Association
Executive) magazine.

The "Great Time to Buy Florida" (GTTBF) microsite,
http://buynow.floridarealtors.org , won in the outstanding member service
feature category. This is the seventh year for the Realtor Association Web
Site Contest, according to NAR. Last year, FAR's new-at-the-time member Web
site, http://www.floridarealtors.org , won in the outstanding design category.

"Our Communications Department continues to make us all very proud,"
says 2008 FAR President Chuck Bonfiglio. "They have won numerous awards for
our magazine and now this prestigious award. These are some of the most
talented and dedicated individuals in the business and I am proud to call
them ours. Kudos on another job well done."

The contest's judges noted that FAR's GTTBF site does a winning job of
equipping Realtor(R) members with real estate market facts - and a wealth
of resources - they can use to reach consumers in their local markets.

"[The site] is dedicated to the Florida Realtor community and helping
each member get the word out to buyers that now really is a great time to
buy Florida real estate," says Peggy Musial, managing editor of online
content for FAR. "Who in the real estate business hasn't complained about
or been affected by negative press relating to all aspects of the market?
We examined ways to counter those critics and decided a microsite was the
best and least expensive way to help Realtors get the word out about what
continues to be great in Florida's market - including inventory, price,
destination, location and investment potential. The positive 'buzz' created
from NAR's Good Time to Buy campaigns helped us brand our statewide
promotion."

Judges found the site "vibrant," "current," and "well planned and well
executed," and also commended its clever and engaging use of multimedia. As
noted in the current issue of Realtor AE magazine, the "Great Time to Buy
Florida" site really delivers when it comes to online member service,
offering stacks of materials that members can pluck to use on their blogs,
in their newsletters and in their marketing brochures.

Regarding the GTTBF site, FAR Executive Vice President John Fridlington
says: "Delivering real value to FAR members, especially in a changing
marketplace, is our highest priority. We hope our members find useful
information and inspiration here."

According to NAR, this year's competition highlighted great features of
Realtor association Web sites nationwide and is a reminder of just what a
powerful tool the Internet is for serving members.

The Florida Association of Realtors (FAR), the voice for real estate in
Florida, provides programs, services, continuing education, research and
legislative representation to its 125,000 members in 67
boards/associations.



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Source: Real Estate Newswire