ROCHESTER, NY – If you have spent any time searching for a home or a REALTOR® on-line, you are more than likely very familiar with a website that is synonymous with the local real estate industry. The Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS® (GRAR) recently unveiled its newly-renovated website www.Homesteadnet.com. Initially launched in 1995, the website was the first to provide local listing information to the public. Today, it is widely used in the Greater Rochester/Finger Lakes region and contains the most complete and comprehensive local listing database.

Although the website is considered the GRAR public website, the information contained in Homeseadnet.com is provided by the Genesee Region Real Estate Information Service, Inc. (GENRIS), which is the wholly-owned subsidiary of GRAR. GENRIS is the primary provider of all real estate technology and information in the Greater Rochester area and is responsible for information technology and dissemination, including the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). In September 2003, GENRIS converted to a completely Internet-based MLS service
“The Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS®, in conjunction with GENRIS in celebrating 100 years of “bringing people home”, redesigned and rolled out this new and improved web site,” remarked Robert Maves, president of the GENRIS Board of Directors. “This is a tremendous resource that provides a wealth of information and ease for people searching for a home and connecting them with a real estate professional. For many, it is their connection to living the American Dream through homeownership.”

Created in partnership with MarketLinx®, Inc., which is the organization’s Multiple Listing Service provider, Homesteadnet.com will deliver invaluable real estate information within the Western and Upstate New York service area.

Ryan Tucholski, CEO of the Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS® stated that in its early days, the website was a bulletin board that was designed to be an on-line access point for active real estate listings.

“Initially, our main objective was to provide the general public with a local site that contained the most timely and comprehensive information possible,” stated Tucholski. “Over the years, the website has evolved into an integral, well-known, and extremely vital resource.”

According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2009 Home Buyers and Sellers Profile, 90% of all home buyers use the Internet in their home search. Currently, the homesteadnet.com website receives approximately 30,000 page views a day.

“The success of any business is dependent on its ability to provide information and convenience for its customers,” continued Tucholski. “Prior to computerization, information on homes and properties that went on the market reached members and consumers in approximately 10 days. Today, that same information is available within seconds.”