Useful spam

Rarely am I thankful for junk e-mail. If I could have a magic spam sensor that could read my mail, detect that it's junk and toss it for me, I'd be in heaven.

But recently I've had junk mail in my inbox that has been useful. Masterful, even.

I've been house hunting lately (if you know of any good townhouses in the greater Boston area, let me know) and am simply overwhelmed by all the things you need to do and know. So I signed up with my brother's friend who's a real estate agent.

The agent is a guy who's been around for a while and knows real estate. But even better than his experience is this service he just rolled out last year. It's basically an ongoing interactive wizard that helps you through the home buying process.

This is how it works. You log on to his Web site, put in all your profile info, what kind of house you want, where you are looking, etc., and it creates a portfolio for you. You can log on with your username and password and see what the automated system has found for you.

This service seems like nothing out of the ordinary until you start getting messages in your inbox. I didn't even know that this was a feature of the service, but was pleasantly surprised. These automated messages remind you what you need to think about as you're buying a house, and then they offer you resources.

For instance, I needed to get a pre-approval letter from a mortgage firm. I wouldn't have known this without the e-mail from the agent. It was a gentle reminder and some suggestions of who to call.

Every day, I get some sort of e-mail from him. Often the message is filled with the latest listings, but sometimes, it will just be a simple question such as "Want to know more about the towns you are considering?" This takes me off to a page that has information about the schools, local government and taxes associated with the town. Or, "Have you considered expanding your search?" It'll take me back to my profile and let me adjust items accordingly. The service has kept me focused on the end goal - getting the right home for me.

At first, this seems like spam, but the more messages I get, the happier I am and the more informed I feel. This is "useful spam," the kind that is targeted to me and is related to my purchasing position. It has certainly fostered my loyalty towards my agent and his service.

Sandra Gittlen is events editor for Network World's Seminars and Events Group. Previously, she was managing editor of Network World Fusion and senior reporter covering Internet research and standards for Network World magazine. She can be reached at sgittlen@nww.com.

E-commerce archive
Past newsletters.

Further codifying spam
Network World, 06/26/00.

Workplace spam prompts legal concerns
Network World, 05/08/00.

Spam affects e-commerce, survey says
IDG News Service, 04/12/00.

Message returned: I am on vacation
Network World, 07/17/00.

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