eBay Real Estate announced the launch of a new-homes category on Monday. Builder Homesite, Inc. (BHI), a consortium of top U.S. homebuilders, is placing thousands of listings in the eBay new homes category, representing custom-designed and model homes from leading builders.

"This is the first step in a long-term commitment between eBay Real Estate and homebuilders that make the home-buying process more enjoyable, fair and less stressful for consumers," said Doug Galen, eBay vice president and general manager of eBay Real Estate.

New home postings on eBay Real Estate will contain everything necessary to help buyers make a more informed purchasing decision, including photos of model homes, architectural drawings, floor plans, maps, community information and property descriptions. Potential buyers can also contact builders directly for further information or to arrange tours of homes in their area. In addition, eBay Real Estate offers first-time buyers an online library of how-to articles for help with purchasing a new home.

To showcase a number of the properties listed within the channel, eBay Real Estate will hold an auction event on June 15-24. In-demand homes from top builders and communities nationwide will be made available on eBay during this event, and potential homebuyers can preview the homes on eBay and NewHomeSource.com, the consumer Web site of BHI, beginning in early June. Subsequent events featuring similarly high-profile properties will follow periodically throughout the year.

"The new homes channel and the kick-off auction event are great opportunities for home buyers to preview and make an offer on homes from some of the most credible and trusted names in home building," said Tim Costello, president and CEO of Builder Homesite, Inc. "By participating in the auction event next month, many homebuyers can be the first to bid on exclusive inventory in sought-after locations from around the country."

eBay Real Estate launched in August of 2000 and operates five core categories within its marketplace: residential homes, timeshares, foreclosures, plots of land and commercial real estate. http://www.ebayrealestate.com