How to use the Web as a selling tool

Tapping into technology is the right way to sell a house today, the experts say, whether they agree with Celia and Richard Brown's for-sale-by-owner approach or not.

And you don't need a degree in IT to put the tools the Browns are using in place.

Look at some real estate websites. To market just one property, you won't need anything cutting edge. Don't spend too much. But don't spend too little, either: Chintzy isn't pretty.

You'll need a domain name. For the Browns' site, www.mediatownhouse.com, the cost was $12.99 for a year. And you'll need a host for your site. With free hosts, you may get what you pay for. There are always deals, however - $7 a month for unlimited storage is good.

One Web page will probably be enough. Some hosts provide a choice of templates and step-by-step instructions on how to get the site up and running without much fuss.

The Browns' host supports a 360-degree slide show and a photo album; their photographs were taken professionally. But if you are handy with a digital camera, you can take the photos yourself. Your computer likely has software for editing and sizing for the Web, creating slide shows and albums, and maybe audio for synchronized narration.

Remember, presentation is important. Litter the site with too many bells and whistles, and the message "House for Sale" could get lost.

Social media? Sign up at www.twitter.com and www.facebook.com and start following and friending. Set up links to both on your website.

If you don't want to do it yourself, a real estate agent should be able to handle it.

- Alan J. Heavens