Brian Kessler, a real estate broker for the past 25 years, is with Intero Real Estate Services in Los Gatos. He said he believes the Internet has dramatically changed his profession for the better.

"When a prospective buyer attends an open house or calls to view a particular property, they are already extremely well-informed, all thanks to the Internet. The buyer knows all of the specifications for the subject property, from square footage to lot size to school district and beyond," Kessler said.

Most of his clients have already seen interior photos by viewing an online virtual tour slide show and know where the home is located because they've pulled up a map on the Internet.

"It is important to make sure that every listing we obtain is fully marketed on the web. We always make certain that the photos are well- chosen and the verbiage is well-written. One bad photo or a poor choice of words can make any house disappear in a buyer's mind with the simple click of a mouse," Kessler said. "The Internet, without question, is the number-one tool of our trade."

A new study conducted by the California Association of Realtors shows that nearly two-thirds of all first-time home buyers used the Internet as a significant part of the home-buying process. Internet home buyers tended to be younger, wealthier, better-educated and more likely to be married than traditional buyers.

According to the survey, home buyers using the Internet surpassed the 50-percent mark for the first time in the six-year history of the association's survey, with 62 percent of home buyers in 2005 using the Internet as an integral part of the home-buying process.

"As more consumers gain access to high-speed connections and spend more time online, they have clearly experienced a growing comfort level with using the Internet in all facets of their day-to-day lives," said California Association of Realtors President Jim Hamilton. "This has translated into greater use of the Internet when buying a home. Given the competitive nature of the current real estate market, consumers increasingly look to the Internet for information. As a result, home buyers are better informed and maintain a greater sense of control over the home-buying process."

While Realtor Jeff Bell with Coldwell Banker in Cupertino finds that all of his clients use the Internet in some way prior to finding their home, none have actually used the web to purchase or process a home online.

"Most of my clients use the Internet on a regular basis to look for homes. I use an automated search system for my clients that sends an email as soon as a listing matching our set of criteria comes on the market," Bell said. "I know over 70 percent of home buyers in California start their search online and out of that nearly 80 percent of them use a Realtor to eventually find the home."

Realtor Dulcy Freeman with Coldwell Banker in Palo Alto doesn't recommend purchasing a property solely by considering pictures and virtual tours on the Internet.

"Nothing replaces walking through a property live and in person. Scale, flow of a floor plan, location, lot shape/dimensions and overall feel of a property can only be communicated in person," Freeman said. "Color brochure advertising for a property is flat. The Internet is dynamic and dimensional."

Freeman says the Internet helps buyers weed out properties that don't meet their needs. Her clients are able to scour the Multiple Listing Service for property pictures and virtual tours through her website. Once they find a home they like, they can map the location, reference an aerial view of the neighborhood, confirm the school district, read about the community and request comparative sales dates.

"I really enjoy having the Internet as a powerful tool in my repertoire of service to my clients," Freeman said.

From a loan perspective, Judy Hamilton, a certified mortgage planner with Bankers Network Corp. in Campbell, says the actual transaction is still too complicated to handle online even though in some areas people are finding a home and doing the loan through the Internet.

"People today are definitely taking the time to look at properties online and even find out what they might qualify for. Investing in your own residence or buying an investment property still takes a professional to explain all the options. We are fortunate to have some of the very best professionals in our area," Hamilton said.

The risk factor of using an online lender could mean the difference in acquiring the property, cautions Hamilton.

"The potential of losing a deposit because you did not perform during the contract time period can and does happen when one uses an online lender. When clients or Realtors come to me and beg me to close a loan in record time because an online lender has dropped the ball, it gives you food for thought," she said.

According to the California Association of Realtors survey, the Internet has complemented the professional's role in the home-buying transaction.

"Home buyers ultimately turned to their Realtor for both interpretation of information gleaned from the Internet and for their Realtor's expertise and judgment throughout the home-buying process," said association president Jim Hamilton. "Home buyers clearly view the Internet as a tool to enhance their ability to research the real estate market."