We've given you the tools - now we want to help you create new business
At our last Users Group meeting, it was decided that we should try to give Expert Agent a consumer friendly face that explains the advantages in buying or selling through an agent equipped with Expert Agent.

The marketing guys have chewed this over and have come up with the Expert Agent Network concept.

You are all now "founder members" of the Expert Agent Network. You can embrace this as much or as little as you want.

We will be sending you Rightmove style window stickers and artwork for your newspaper ads. No compulsion but if you want to use them, we think you'll gain an extra advantage over your competitors. If you agree to use them, we will also grant you a period of exclusivity in your area to allow you to capitalise on Expert Agent's advantages.

We are, it seems, "the fastest growing Estate Agency Network in the country" - 0 to 430 branches in 18 months! We're working on ways of using this to your advantage.

Maybe in due course we'll approach national builders for part- ex work for you all - using the argument that they'll get instant feedback via Expert Agent.

Maybe we'll create a separate Investment Property channel that you can bolt in.

Maybe we'll give you the option to multilist with other members.

Lots of ideas and lots of work! None will be forced upon you. If all you want is software to run your business, that's fine.

The first stage is the redesign of the expertagent.co.uk public face - it explains to potential vendors the advantages of using an Expert Agent member.

Interestingly TEAM, Guild and Cendant don't seem to do this - their sites talk generally about their size rather than ramming home the benefits to potential vendors.

We hope you like the approach.

What this means is that the Login button has moved - it is now Members Login top right.

You'll see the area of the site that contains our marketing message to agents changing over the next few weeks, too.

You will find a press release sent to the estate agency specialist press at the bottom of this newsletter.