Marla Martin, Communications Manager, or Jeff Zipper, Vice President of Communications 407/438-1400, ext. 2326 or 2314

Florida Association of Realtors® Wins National Web Site Award for Outstanding Member Service

ORLANDO, Fla., May 1, 2008 – The Florida Association of Realtors’® (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® (NAR) and Realtor® 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, 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® 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.