From blinkety-blink to color flow, Sputnik lights up the front page of the Hibbing Daily Tribune on Sunday, December 4, 2011.

Article taken from Hibbing Daily Tribune, written by Kelly Grinsteinner.

It's the season of lights. And many homes and business offices are adding illuminations to celebrate the season.

However, one local business has put a long-desired glow back into its iconic symbol for more than just the holiday season.

"This one is permanent," Laurio Brown said. "Yup, we're talking all year long."

Owners of 1st Realty Rangewide have breathed new life into "Sputnik" - the lighted portion of their office sign located at 2832 First Ave.

Sputnik was a main street fixture signaling people to Jim Dandy's, which many recall as the best burger place in town. The joint was in its heyday in the late 1960s and early '70s, according to Brown and business partners Joan Cotton and Ron Lockhart.

First ever offering of this magnificent 6,000+ sq ft home on 22 acres in the majestic surroundings of Island Lake, only minutes from Hibbing.

What are those goofy looking black and white squares everywhere?

That's a great question! They're called "QR barcodes", and they're becoming more and more popular!

QR stands for "Quick Response", and these square barcodes are able to pack a lot of interactive content into a flat, printed format. At 1st Realty, we've taken this cutting edge technology by the reigns, and become the first company in the area to use it. We've put "Mobile Listing" signs at our properties, with these QR barcodes right there.

What does this mean for you? This means that you'll be able to access heaps of information about our properties, right from the front yard of a property, using your mobile device or smartphone!

It also means we've added a valuable tool, to better serve our property owners and market their properties.

How do I use these barcodes? If you've got a smartphone or other mobile device with a camera, it's easy!

Customer-Based Real Estate Agency

1st Realty-Rangewide Inc is a "customer based" real estate company specializing in residential, commercial and investment real estate. We want to provide you with a pleasurable experience when buying or selling a home, lakeshore, or commercial property. At 1st Realty we strive to know our market well, use current technology, and build lasting relationships. We have real estate agents across the Iron Range who are involved in the communities they live and work in and are anxious to work with you. Remember to "Check with us FIRST".

Professional Real Estate Agents

1st Realty Rangewide Inc has offices in Hibbing, and Virginia, MN. The company is owned by Laurio Brown, Joan Cotton and Ron Lockhart. We have many real estate property listings and serve the regions of Hibbing MN, Chisholm MN, and Virginia, MN and all the surrounding areas. Our real estate agents are well trained and have over 60 years of combined experience. If you are looking for, or have residential, commercial, investment or lakeshore real estate property listings, call 1st Realty Rangewide. You won't be disappointed.

Our agents also perform mortgage field inspections, as well as broker price opinion work orders.