"For us, it was a neat vote of confidence that they saw the value of our service," Chuck Briant, Web Real Estate president, tells GlobeSt.com. He adds that the dot-com isn't planning on any more energy partners, but isn't dismissing future alliances with other providers for commercial real estate buildings, such as procurement services. For now, the focus is getting the TXU property listing fully integrated into the existing database, he emphasizes.

Web Real Estate founder and chairman Jack Diamond gets the credit for initiating the talks. At the crux of the alliance is the state's energy deregulation, which goes into effect Dec. 31. TXU is using the Website as a marketing tool as well as to provide valuable information to its customers and WebRealEstate.com's property database.

Under the pact, TXU will help pay for new and existing property listings under a complicated formula that covers all or part of the cost. Briant won't put a dollar amount to the TXU contribution, but did say that there is a TXU cap on the per property subsidization. TXU will be helping to fund photography, demographic information and renderings, which are particularly costly and labor intensive.

The TXU listings already are starting to show up on the Website. Dallas and Houston properties are the starting point. Most TXU commercial building customers statewide will be integrated, with the exception of San Antonio and Austin--the pockets unaffected by energy deregulation. And, says Briant, the teaming could result in listings outside Texas borders.

TXU says the end benefit to property owners, managers and brokers is that the pact could accelerate occupancy rates at buildings. TXU Energy Services is not the same as TXU Electric & Gas and is not regulated by the Texas PUC.