A powerful phenomenon, which has been developing discreetly beneath the surface of commercial enterprise on the Web, is now emerging with profound implications. Threatening markets long dominated by the giants of industry, this new paradigm employs 21st-century marketing strategies rather than relying solely on traditional protocols.

For example, before the Internet explosion, building an authoritative brand required large marketing staffs, multi-million dollar budgets, and decades of hard work. Today, a single individual can accomplish the same task on a modest budget in a relatively short period of time.

How? Through intuitive domain branding, an extremely powerful concept. According to Tom Militzer of New Commerce Communications, "Individual entrepreneurs have not had an opportunity like this since the days of the gold rush."

Rob Grant, a licensed real estate broker in New York is a classic example of one person who used this concept as the cornerstone in assembling a multi-million dollar online presence.

Expanding Company's Physical Presence By Acquiring Domains
Four years ago, Grant realized that he could expand his company's presence far beyond the physical boundaries which traditionally limit a broker's market and territory. Starting with his home state of New York, Grant methodically began acquiring domains throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and eventually the entire world.
The process was both challenging and invigorating--requiring constant internet vigilance in order to register new domains, purchase pre-existing ones, or to acquire expired names--sometimes mere seconds ahead of a competitor vying for the same name.

Because of his persistence, however, Grant now owns a proprietary network of over 250 top-level domains spanning six continents, 84 countries, 29 regions, states and islands, and 126 cities, each of which can be accessed at the click of a mouse after typing a short phrase of intuitive keywords into the browser.

When visitors arrive at these sites, they find a complete array of consumer-friendly real estate resources for buying, selling and financing homes and other properties, along with virtual home tours and information about schools, neighborhoods, population and crime. The sites are all interconnected and linked to the central domain, which serves as the nucleus of the organization.

The Real Estate Directory Global Network is a compelling model that validates both the power of the Internet
and the opportunities available to individuals with ingenuity and determination.

Grant developed this model based upon the concept of intuitive name branding. This term simply means creating brands based on logic and common sense. These brands are keywords that searchers instinctively type directly into their browser's locator window, eliminating the need for cumbersome and preferential search engine technology.
For instance, a person looking for real estate in Hawaii, might type in "www.HawaiiRealEstate.com," causing the browser to automatically default to a site offering real estate information and properties for sale in Hawaii.

Intuitive name branding is not only simple but also effective. Jim Paris, a broker in Hilton Head, South Carolina, leased the domain, HiltonHeadRealEstate.com from Rob Grant two years ago. He expressed enthusiasm about his decision.

"Having this name is a great listing tool," said Paris. "The first thing clients want to know is how strong my marketing plan is, and when I tell them about the results I'm getting online, they are eager to participate. My business has never been better."

Online Companies Cut Overhead, Expand Reach
Tom Bowden, a real estate broker who has managed several large companies in his 40-year career commented, "Those of us who haven't kept up with the Internet, simply can't compete. Our overhead is huge relative to online companies, and our reach is very limited. I can easily understand why some of the large real estate companies feel threatened."
Rob Grant is well aware of the waves he's created, "I'm not surprised at the industry reaction," he said. "We've made a better mousetrap--a dynamic new business model that turns traditional real estate upside down. Instead of spending millions of dollars to build a corporate brand only to compete tooth and nail with all the other corporate brands out there, we recognized early on that consumers search intuitively for products and services on the web.

"If you are looking for Hollywood real estate this is the logical query you type into your computer's browser: "HollywoodRealEstate.com" and not some broker's company name. What's really exciting now is to witness the birth of an entirely new global intuitive brand!" Although some of the industry giants are concerned, others have foreseen the advantages of controlling their industry's identity on the Internet by using the concept of intuitive branding.

Disney Buys Domains Related to Family Fun, Entertainment
Disney, for example, has been quietly buying up domains that relate to family fun and entertainment. Thus, when consumers key in family.com, familyfun.com, familytravel.com or similar intuitive phrases, their browsers will automatically default to one of Disney's huge web sites--reinforcing the company's travel and entertainment holdings in the real world.
Recent sales of domain names for millions of dollars confirm the power of intuitive searching. Recognizing the value of a good intuitive domain, Bank of America was willing to shell out $3 million for loans.com, and Barnes and Noble a hefty sum for books.com. Other industries as well have joined the Gold Rush. Global intuitive domains abound in health, financial services, lodging, entertainment, and nearly every other industry. Moreover, as the Internet continues to expand at an exponential rate, the impact of these domains will increase proportionately.