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The News-Times
David W. Harple
Steve Schappert, a Brookfield resident and owner
of Buyer‘s Trust Real Estate on Federal Road, is using his Web
site, www.brookfieldct.org, to promote the town and its
businesses.
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BROOKFIELD — Google's No. 1-rated Web site about Brookfield is morphing into an interactive one-stop spot for residents and business owners.
Steve Schappert, a Brookfield resident and owner of Buyer's Trust Real Estate on Federal Road, has operated www.brookfieldct.org for about a decade, but now he is adding more links, paid advertisements and blogs for seniors, teens, clubs and businesses.
"Now is the time," Schappert said. "I want it to be the primary source for information about Brookfield."
Schappert got the idea for a Brookfield Web site when he was a member of the town's Economic Development Commission. At the time, however, the commission wasn't interested in maintaining a site. So when Schappert stepped down from the commission, he launched the site.
Today, the site records more than 250,000 hits a month, and Schappert said he hopes the blogs will draw a more diverse crowd. Schappert started the blogs this month and so far, no one has participated. But that doesn't discourage Schappert.
"Blogs give control to the town to publish instantly," he said.
Users already can learn about the town's history, search for a new home, browse lists of Brookfield restaurants and churches and learn about town tax information.
Luann Puglia, owner of Giftline Express, recently bought an advertisement for her business on the site. Schappert posted her ad Wednesday.
Puglia said she likes Schappert's approach to promoting Brookfield and hopes his Web site can draw new customers to her business. She also might participate on one of the blogs, she said.
"(The site) is really complete. You can find out a lot about Brookfield," Puglia said.
Schappert also has a Web site that promotes Candlewood Lake, www.candlewoodlake.org. That site also has new blogs about boating, fishing, sailing and other water sports.
"The Candlewood Lake site is one site that we know works. We have had many inquiries about our Candlewood Lake Dives that came from that site," said Peter Hearn of Pan Aqua's Diving Bell.
Schappert grew up in Brookfield and besides a brief time in Arizona, he has lived their ever since.
"Brookfield is an ideal community. Everything you need is right here," he said. "I want to help people discover that."
Check out Steve Schappert's Web site at www.brookfieldct.org or contact him at (203) 740-2242.
Contact Elizabeth Putnam at eputnam@newstimes.com or at (203) 731-3411.
Brookfield Realtor/Builder featured speaker at national real estate convention. Steve Schappert of Brookfield, CT, was one of the keynote speakers at the annual convention for the National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents in Las Vegas, Nevada last week. He and three other speakers each gave a three hour long presentation specifically pertaining to issues confronting Exclusive Buyers Agents. Mr. Schappert, the CEO of Connecticut Real Estate and Construction based in Brookfield, chose to stress the need for the real estate community to focus its efforts on counteracting the impending global warming crisis.
He began by introducing Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” then followed with a power point presentation on the strides necessary to discontinue our stressing of the planet’s environmental balance. He demonstrated the various ways he and his company have developed methodologies for building, marketing, and selling more “green” housing and offered a multitude of opportunities for the audience members to take similar actions. The fundamental thrust, however, was that the agents must become more educated about the environment and the effect housing and the real estate industry has on global warming. The audience of nearly one hundred had the opportunity to pepper Mr. Schappert with questions during the Q and A session. Many agents’ attentions were sufficiently captured by the address that the nearby gaming tables seemed noticeably quieter for a few brief hours. Learn More about Connecticut Real Estate and Construction

