Review Authority

Each real estate company showcased within the rankings has been put through an in-depth examination to uncover how well they perform compared to industry standards and competitors. While many online real estate consultants are considered for the methodical evaluation process each month, only the best consultants are highlighted in the rankings.

Personal Real Estate Investor

At RealtyBid.com, a seller sets a reserve price and time frame for the auction, Shannon says. Property information is displayed on the bid page, along with all bids and the Internet transaction fee. Bidders can enter a maximum bid by using a tool called BidAssist. A countdown clock tracks how much time remains in the auction.

Inman News

Prudential California Realty says it’s the first brokerage in Northern California to allow prospective homebuyers to submit offers online on any for-sale property featured on the company’s website — even if the brokerage does not represent the listing, and even if the buyer is not represented by an agent.

HousingWire

RealtyBid.com launched the updated and redesigned version of its online real estate bidding Web site. The new site enhances user functions and experience, the Rainbow City, Ala.-based company said.

Digital Trends

Sounds simple, but the difference between landing a bargain and overpaying for a property isn’t quite that cut and dry. Often it comes down to how well a buyer vets a property before the auction and how they manage their bidding in the final hours of the sale. And some auction Web sites have features that make this easier to do.

MarketWatch

"Apparently, someone forgot to send Suzanne Perkins, Mary Berry, the John McMonigle Group and Tony Isbell the memo about there being a down real estate market the past year and a half. Each came out tops in their four respective categories as America's top-selling real estate agents and team."

DSNews.com

"There is some positive news regarding the weakened housing market, Rainbow City, Alabama-based RealtyBid.com reports. The good news is that there are still thousands of buyers with a large appetite for appropriately-priced homes, and, the growing success of RealtyBid.com is proof positive that motivated sellers and happy buyers are connecting, the company said."

DSNews

"Technology has automated analysis, increased exposure, and cut sales time. Just ask Tony Isbell, CEO of Alabama-based RealtyBid. 'If you ask what impact technology has had on the industry, I would sum it up with one word–efficiency,' he said."

Crittenden Builders Report

"Lennar Corp. and other builders use online auction services at RealtyBid.com to unload standing inventory. Auctions prove to be a fast and efficient way to unite a buyer and seller."

Inman News

"RealtyBid.com, an online real estate auction site launched in 2001, reported a record year last year, with the number of properties up for auction at the site rising 165 percent compared to 2006 and the total value of properties reaching $542 million."

The Providence Journal - Providence, RI

"Shannon said the business grew significantly last year: the number of listings was up by more than 165 percent over 2006, and the number of sales jumped 157 percent over the 2006."

Wall Street Journal

"Employing an eBay-style of online auctions, the process of buying and selling homes on RealtyBid isn't complicated. Sellers list the property with a sales professional and post the property on RealtyBid, setting a minimum reserve price acceptable for the sale. RealtyBid does not accept properties 'For Sale by Owner.' Buyers are introduced to the property online but are encouraged to contact the listing agent for a showing. Interested buyers make offers online. Usually the bidding is open for two weeks, and buyers never see that minimum reserve price. Sales professionals keep their commission structure and buyers pay a transaction fee - usually 1 percent of the sale price. Closing costs and procedures are handled in a traditional sale process."

ABCNews.com

"Realtybid.com, a Web site that auctions foreclosed homes only online, said business has tripled over the past six months, and predict that it will double again by the end of the year...'Foreclosure auctions...help the communities rebuild and gets inventory off the market,' said Realtybid.com CEO Tony Isbell."

Lore Magazine

"It didn't take a crystal ball to predict a major flood of foreclosures in 2006. But Tony Isbell, CEO of RealtyBid, understood how to prepare for the storm...Today, thanks to those provisions, his company is riding this cycle into another record-breaking year. With 1,300 transactions in 2006, RealtyBid closed more deals than any other residential real estate team in the country."

The Early Show on CBS

"...The Internet is a great place to find out about live and online auctions. There are many Web sites devoted to them, including RealtyBid.com...These sites can help you locate live auctions in your area, as well as online auctions where you can actually bid on homes..."

MarketWatch

"'...The auction process is intriguing to a lot of people. It kinda puts the bait out there,' she said. 'Not only would it give your seller another avenue of advertising his property, it generates a pool of buyers. With this being a buyer's market, that's what we're looking for -- buyers...'"

The Birmingham News - Birmingham, Ala.

"...RealtyBid.com said Thursday it has signed deals with lenders to auction more than 250 California foreclosed properties homes in September via the company's Web site. That is the most homes in one month in a single state since RealtyBid.com was founded in 2001 by CEO Tony Isbell and Executive Vice President Mike Keracher..."

CNNMoney.com

"...The geographic shift shows up in the mix of properties listed by the auction web site RealtyBid.com, which mainly features foreclosed homes. RealtyBid spokeswoman, Daphne Shannon, said, 'The Midwest has always been very solid for us, but the properties we're seeing are moving across the country - they're from California, Arizona and Nevada..."

Luxury Insights--The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing

"...Tony Isbell, president and founder of RealtyBid.com, says it's the largest agreement ever to be signed between an auction house and the real estate industry. 'With this move, REALOGY has positioned itself to be a leader among national players. Endorsing an alternate sales and marketing venue provides their agents with another tool to weather the shifting housing market...'"

Realtor Magazine

"Even before the real estate market began to slow, real estate auctions were gaining popularity across the country. Residential property auction sales saw a 39.2 percent increase from 2002 to 2005 — from $10.2 billion to more than $14.2 billion annually, according to a special report published in 2006 by the National Auctioneers Association. Now that residential sales have decelerated, this figure is likely to rise..."

Wall Street Journal

"'...There are a lot of home builders watching this auction,' says Tony Isbell, chief executive of RealtyBid.com, the online-auction site that conducted Lennar's 20-day event. From his point of view, the sale is a big success, drawing more than 23,000 Web-site hits and about nine bidders per property, as opposed to RealtyBid.com's average of about four. Sales picked up yesterday in a postauction phase as Lennar lowered its reserve prices, and Mr. Isbell expects that most of the homes will be sold."

The Desert Sun - Palm Spring, Calif.

"...Home-builder Lennar recently turned to the Web site RealtyBid.com to auction off homes and condos in Indio, La Quinta and Rancho Mirage. On Friday, for instance, RealtyBid fielded bids for homes in the Marquesa at Terra Lago community in Indio. Lennar homes there originally priced at $459,990 were getting $296,000 to $318,000 bids in an auction scheduled through May 8..."

The Press Enterprise - Riverside, Ca.

"...The online auction element is already being seen in the Inland region. Lennar Homes of California on Thursday announced it plans to sell two Coachella Valley communities later this month through the online real estate bidding system of RealtyBid.com..."

Yahoo! Finance

"Lennar Homes of California has announced plans to sell two Palm Springs, Calif., communities this month through the online real estate bidding system of RealtyBid.com, the nation's leader in online real estate bidding."

Birmingham News - Birmingham, Ala.

"Tony Isbell and Mike Keracher worked together for a company auctioning bank-owned properties before hitting on an idea to do the same thing via the Internet. They started Rainbow City-based RealtyBid.com in 2000, and within the first two years sold $50 million in real estate. Since its founding, RealtyBid.com has sold more than 5,000 properties. Business has increased every year, and the company now calls itself a leader in online real estate sales. It currently sells between 100 and 200 properties a month."

Gem Of The Hills - Jacksonville State University - Jacksonville, Ala.

"Through a chance meeting with an industry executive in college, Tony Isbell, a 1987 Jacksonville State University graduate, was introduced to the real estate auction industry..."

REOMAC Update

"...Online real estate auctions take the theme of acceptance one step further. Not only are online real estate auctions benefiting from the growing acceptance of real estate auctions in general, but online auctions are also benefiting from the growing acceptance of technology as a part of our every day life and work. In the world of YouTube, Amazon.com, Wikipedia, MySpace, Facebook, and eBay, online real estate auctions are the obvious next step in the evolution of real estate marketing..."

Chicago Daily Herald - Chicago, Ill.

"'We’ve almost doubled our business in the last six months,' said Tony Isbell, CEO of Rainbow City, Ala.-based RealtyBid International LLC, an online real estate auction firm...Isbell said buyers and sellers in online real estate auctions are the same as those in a live auction, including investors and first-time home buyers. 'The difference is that it’s a lot more convenient for the bidder with the online process,' said Isbell. 'You can bid anywhere, anytime...'"

California Real Estate Magazine

"'...Auctions identify the players and bring them to a point of action,' says Tony Isbell, a pioneer of online auctions and CEO of RealtyBid.com. 'There’s something about the word that gets people interested. Typically, they think it means a bargain, so they’re that much more willing to go see a property. Once you get somebody to look at a property, you’re a lot further toward getting it sold...'"

MSN Money

"Recent statistics released by RealtyBid International LLC, a national online real estate auction site, suggest that more real estate agents and banks are using Internet auctions to sell their properties. According to a release from the company, which is based in Rainbow City, Ala., the number of properties offered for auction on RealtyBid.com in 2006 was 53 percent higher than in 2005..."

DSNews.com

"RealtyBid.com, a leader in online real estate auction sales, is toting a newly updated and expanded Web site and a record-breaking 2006 sales record. The site has implemented upgraded server technology to improve the site's overall security and reliability. JR Zeringue, chief technology officer at RealtyBid.com, says the changes don't stop there..."

HuntingtonNews.net - Huntington, W.Va.

"'...RealtyBid.com is an accelerated sales tool for the real estate agent, providing greater coverage for listings—something that real estate brokers need in today’s real estate market,' Isbell told HNN, noting that the firm receives its revenue in the form of a 1 percent Buyer’s Premium based on the selling price of the property, paid by the buyer at closing. 'The commission the broker receives comes from the seller, so we’re complementing the agent, not competing with him or her,' Isbell stressed. 'We are one of the only online real estate models that is helping the agent and not getting into their pocket...'"

The Denver Post - Denver, Colo.

"...In October, RealtyBid.coms monthly inventory of properties up for auction nationwide topped more than 1,000 for the second time in four months. Octobers inventory of 1,038 properties was an increase of 427 percent over October 2005..."

San Jose Mercury News - San Jose, Calif.

"...Other online auctions are gaining traction too, said Tony Isbell, chief executive of RealtyBid, an Alabama company that specializes in online auctions of homes whose owners are motivated sellers..."

CNNMoney.com

"...Reluctantly, Burttram put the pair of two-bedroom homes on the market - where they sat for six months without an offer. Increasingly desperate, he took a flier on a new strategy. He listed one of the houses on an online home-auction site called RealtyBid.com, a new eBay-like service for home sellers..."

MSNBC.com

"...Online home auctions are not putting real estate agents out of business. Many agents are learning how to use these Web sites to their — and their clients` — advantages. RealtyBid.com, an auction site that works directly with Realtors instead of home sellers, has seen its listings skyrocket since the market started heading south last spring. The site had 1,000 homes listed for sale in July, compared to just 200 a year prior..."

The Philadelphia Inquirer - Philadelphia, Pa.

"...Online real estate auctions, too, appear to be increasing in volume. In July, for example, RealtyBid.com, a Web site based in Rainbow City, Ala., was offering 1,053 properties. In July of last year, the site offered 172. In 2004, RealtyBid.com was auctioning an average of 175 homes per month, up from 25 a month in 2003, said its president, Tony Isbell, who cited the cooling real estate market, rising interest rates, and a growing familiarity with technology as reasons for the growth..."

Servicing Management

"RealtyBid.com, a Rainbow City, Ala.-based company specializing in online real estate auctions, reports that its platform has grown from an average of 200 properties up for bid per month to 800 properties up for bid. According to RealtyBid.com’s president and co-founder, Tony Isbell, this growth is a result of several factors, including a cooling of the real estate market and rising interest rates that triggered more mortgage defaults and foreclosures..."

Business Alabama

"Online real estate bidding is a relatively new way to list and purchase properties that many people may not be familiar with. Alabamians might be surprised to know that the nation`s leader in online real estate sales, RealtyBid.com is headquartered in Etowah County`s Rainbow City, just south of Gadsden..."

The Gadsden Times - Gadsden, Ala.

"July was a busy month for RealtyBid.com because it recorded its largest inventory to date. RealtyBid listed 1,053 residential and commercial properties for bid during July, the same month it opened its doors to area real estate agents during an open house to introduce innovative services to Etowah County that have been used by others nationwide..."

The Wall Street Journal

"...Some online auction services say they also are benefiting from the weaker housing market. One such service is RealtyBid.com, based in Gadsden, Ala. Glenn Mayernik, a real-estate agent at Prudential Douglas Elliman, used RealtyBid to help one of his clients sell a three-bedroom home on Long Island, N.Y. The house was originally priced at $440,000 and then dropped to $365,000 on the conventional market, where it stayed for three months. The house finally sold for about $340,000 at the end of a 14-day online auction."

Inman News

"...The inventory of properties at RealtyBid.com, an online auction site that works exclusively with real estate agents to sell properties, has reportedly grown from 200 properties up for bid in July 2005 to 1,053 properties in July 2006...Tony Isbell, RealtyBid.com president, said that real estate auctions were growing even during a hot real estate market, and he expects that growth to pick up in the current market. Typically auctions are used when things have slowed down. We think that trend will accelerate tremendously over the next five years, and we are already seeing that within our company, he said..."

The Birmingham News - Birmingham, Ala.

"RealtyBid.com, a Gadsden area online auction company, is gaining a national reputation as the eBay of real estate. It’s a comparison welcomed by company founders Tony Isbell, an Anniston native, and Mike Keracher of Hoover. Their company, formed in 2001, has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Miami Herald and New York Newsday in recent weeks as brokers and real estate agents concerned by the national housing slowdown are seeking alternative ways to sell properties..."

The News Herald - Panama City, Fla.

"...Daphne Shannon, CondoBid's marketing director, said the Gulf Coast area is natural for the company to focus on, given its location and the interest nationwide in its condo market...Shannon said her companys concept merges traditional auctions with real estate sales but keeps the agent involved in the sales process..."

Newsday - New York City

"...This is the place to watch real property transactions. There is the same thrill as hanging around an auction, but there`s no gavel-banging or auctioneers calls, just e-mails and clocks that keep track of the bidding time. The site is run by RealtyBid International of Rainbow City, Ala..."

RISMedia-Publisher of Real Estate magazine

"Officials with RealtyBid.com, the nation`s leader in online real estate auctions, have announced that with more than 1,000 properties currently up for bid, this innovative and fast-growing website now boasts its largest inventory of properties up for bid ever...RealtyBid.com President Tony Isbell said the website’s inventory has grown from an average of 200 properties up for bid per month just a year ago to its current high, adding up to a more than 400 percent increase in inventory..."

Los Angeles Times - Los Angeles, Calif.

"...Online auctions have grown in popularity since 2001, said RealtyBid.com Chairman Tony Isbell. His company has sold 2,700 properties in the last three years and currently lists about 300 to 400 properties each month. Vacation homes are particularly popular right now, he said...The online market exposure is so much bigger than live auction, Isbell said. The Internet allows someone to bid from anywhere in the world, any time, day or night, over two weeks..."