Abode continues to improve and update its Web site, which features all documents, contracts, even personalized transaction calendars with contingency dates and deadlines highlighted. Buyers and sellers simply log on with user names and secured passwords, and their entire real estate portfolio is accessible for their personal review.

Barr firmly believes his new "live chat" will capture visitors and give Abode the opportunity to establish that first all-important contact. "Technology makes everything easier and therefore less expensive," Barr explains. "This efficiency translates into more quality time spent serving the client's needs."

MATCHMAKING Realtor Marcia L. McLaughlin saw the overwhelmingly positive reactions of every potential buyer who walked inside her listing at 8159 Abingdon Court in University Park. So when the charming residence was chosen as a feature home in Romantic Homes magazine, she was not surprised.

"Everyone falls in love with this house," explains McLaughlin. "The courtyard is filled with flowers, lighting, open decking, hot tub and even a pool with a waterfall. Inside, the homeowner has showcased impressive collections of antique dolls, vintage linen and lace children's clothing, old coins and buttons. Each room features some special touch, and the guest suite is beautifully done in a tropical theme. These owners started with a good house and then transformed the interior into a decorating masterpiece." An expanded version of the Lismore custom courtyard home, the property is listed for $895,000.

EXTREME MAKEOVER Sarasota realtors may be hotly competitive, but sometimes cooperation saves the day.

Janis Collier of Michael Saunders & Company had buyers from Ohio. Michael Cochrane, of Coldwell Banker, had sellers from England. The Tangerine Bay condominium was perfect, and Collier's lovely couple bought the unit, furnishings and accessories included. "But when we did the walk-through just before the closing," explains Collier, "we were horrified to discover that the place had been stripped bare. Gone were all the mirrors, artwork and decorative pieces in the kitchen and baths. The silks were gone. The candles and cushions were gone. Every accessory was just gone. Michael and I figured out, too late, that the British couple did not understand the meaning of the term 'turnkey' and they had taken it all with them."

The sellers agreed to remit a portion of the sale price, and Collier explained to her buyers that they now had the necessary funds to replace everything and accessorize the condominium to their exact taste. But they had no wish to do that. They wanted the condo turnkey, as promised. So Collier and Cochrane got busy.

"We spent three days shopping and hunting and looking and finding everything for that place," says Collier. "I'm talking pillows for the sofa and silk floral arrangements and framed pieces and ornamentals and bathroom stuff and kitchen tchotchkes. We hit every store in Sarasota and when we were finished, we jumped into the air and high-fived each other because the place looked so terrific!"

Both realtors wanted to be there for the reaction, and the Ohio couple did not disappoint. "They absolutely loved the result, the closing proceeded and Michael and I felt so great about the whole experience. We were frantic but it was fun."

THE BRITISH ARE COMING Thanks to years spent visiting his wife's family in London, realtor Al Horrigan, founder with Ronnie DeWitt of RSVP Realty, feels a kinship with Great Britain and delights in showing Sarasota to visitors from across the pond.

That's why RSVP has become the first U.S. real estate company to affiliate with Savills, Europe's respected real estate company and the market leader in commercial, residential and agricultural real estate. Founded in 1855, Savills is the longest-established real estate company in the United Kingdom, with 250 offices in 21 countries.

"Most of my sales to U.K. residents are for investment or vacation escapes from Britain's ugly months," Horrigan explains. "And the moment they see the Savills name, there's instant credibility."

Interestingly, simple name-recognition recently landed RSVP a top-drawer waterfront listing, when the seller decided his Longboat Key Club home would probably sell to a European buyer. "He calls his place 'Las Fuentes,' because there are two lovely fountains at the entry," says Horrigan. "It is a beautiful Mediterranean villa overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, and every detail is magnificent. The house offers some 7,700 square feet of luxurious living space with enough parking for 12 cars. The views are spectacular, and the actual sand on the private beach gets groomed every week." Las Fuentes is offered at $13.85 million.