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Before the Internet, real estate agents controlled real estate listings. The only way a buyer could find homes for sale was by relying on an agent, looking through the local newspapers or by driving around neighborhoods. Internet">All of these methods took time and considerable effort.

The Internet has changed the market and now about 90% of buyers begin their home search online. While it can save an agent time by not being in the middle it can also give a buyer an overwhelming number of choices.

As the Internet becomes more common place and technology continues to get better, more of the real estate purchase transaction is moving on-line. One example is the online real estate auction.

For years, real estate auctions have been successful on the courthouse steps or in the front yard and they still are today. Then, when EBay' www.ebay.com came along, people became more comfortable buying and selling consumer goods through online auctions. Now, anybody with minimal computer skills can sell their used or new stuff anywhere around the world.

The result of this success has been a natural progression into online real estate auctions, and they are steadily gaining momentum. Technology is making the online auction more exiting and bringing it to life with some sites featuring live count downs and auto-extending until bidding stops.

An online auction offers buyers the ability to find great deals and compete equally and openly with other buyers. Most online auctions allow buyers to see the highest bid and easily control how high they go. An online auction is especially perfect for investment properties, where very little emotion is involved, just numbers.

As an investor selling a property, an auction is a great way to put a deal in front of as many buyers as possible during a short period of time. The process takes selling to another level by automating the offer (bidding) process. The seller no longer needs to spend time dealing with multiple offers or worrying about whether they are accepting the highest offer.

It's understandable why real estate Internet auctions are gaining momentum, especially for real estate investment properties. If you haven't been keeping up with this growing opportunity, it's time to get involved.