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But it's not just the promise of a lower price tag that keeps consumers coming. "This was the way I wanted to spend my time house shopping," says Erlandson. "I didn't want to spend hours in somebody else's car." A less independent house hunter might prefer having help picking out the best homes to see, as well as getting advice on neighborhoods, school districts and local amenities. Bob Sutton was at first frustrated with eRealty. "It took a while to figure out how to do searches," he says. After a call to the company, he fared much better and wound up buying a house in Austin, Texas. Call him a convert. Although the industry may not be putting out a welcome mat, for many consumers the new style is growing downright homey.