Annual Inman News awards honors real estate innovation.

Live Urban Real Estate has been named a finalist as one of the nation's Most Innovative Real Estate Brokerages or Franchises in 2011. We were recognized for our unique approach to residential real estate sales, including home buyer happy hours, neighborhood walkability scores, an expanding social media presence and trendsetting web-based property search tools. We're excited to compete against national industry heavy hitters including Century 21, Keller Williams and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.

This latest list of finalists, for the Inman News 2011 Innovator Awards, recognizes dozens of companies, industry entities and products that are front-runners in the real estate industry's tech progression. Mobile and cloud-based tools are redefining the real estate search experience for consumers and industry professionals alike, and innovators are rolling out countless new tools to propel this wireless, always-on, location-sensing and constantly evolving revolution.

Among the finalists are a series of mobile real estate search apps across a variety of smartphone and tablet platforms, enterprise-wide brokerage technology platforms, real estate's social media standouts, and tools designed to improve online interactions with customers and prospective customers.

The Inman News Innovator Awards, created in 1997, recognize technologies, tools and services that improve the real estate transaction process and experience for consumers and industry professionals. Winners of past awards include LendingTree, Coldwell Banker, Sawbuck Realty, Redfin, ActiveRain, vFlyer and Closing.com.

This year's award categories include:
    •    Most Innovative New Technology
    •    Most Innovative Brokerage or Franchise
    •    Most Innovative Real Estate Website or Web Service
    •    Most Innovative MLS or Real Estate Trade Association
    •    Most Innovative Real Estate Startup
    •    Most Innovative Mobile App
    •    Most Innovative Real Estate Social Site or Social Service or blog

Following a nominations process, an Inman News review team considered the full list of nominees and selected the list of finalists -- finalists include nominees as well as other candidates selected by the Inman News review team. The review team chooses the winners from the list of finalists, and the winners announced during the Real Estate Connect conference in San Francisco in July 2011.

In addition, Broker/Owner John Skrabec was featured at a conference panel discussion titled "Rethinking the Brokerage: New Models and Opportunities" as one of the industry trailblazers who is changing how they work, and how real estate professionals think about the real estate business.

Inman News is the leading source of independent real estate news, information, advice, research, opinion and commentary for industry professionals and consumers alike. More information at www.inman.com.