Real Estate Online

Today (Sep. 15) is National Online Learning Day, which celebrates the vast array of learning resources that are available to students online. The internet has revolutionized the learning process and people all over the world are thriving in the flexible and convenient environment that the internet offers! The internet has a seemingly infinite pool of learning resources, including millions of real estate listings, informational sites, and other helpful resources for home buyers and sellers.

Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, it’s vital to understand what the internet can offer in relation to real estate. The internet began to swell in popularity in the 1990s and has since become an essential tool in nearly every area of life. Here are some highlight statistics from the 2012 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers and Google Internal Data:

-       90% of home buyers searched online during their home buying process.

-       Real estate related searches on Google.com have grown 253% over the past 4 years.

-       89% of new home shoppers use a mobile search engine at the onset and throughout their research.

-       Shoppers will perform an average of 11 searches prior to taking action on a real estate site.

Sellers:

Having an online presence when selling your home is essential. There are so many resources out there that buyers are looking at, so it’s important to choose a good realtor who will do the work to get your listing the exposure it deserves. Agents who provide quality photos, a thorough Multiple Listings Service (MLS) listing, a creative description, and variety of hosting sites are all good things to look for. Buyers make judgements on a home within the first few seconds of viewing a listing online, so it’s important to have as many positive aspects as possible, particularly in the photography and visual realm. As a seller, do your research and find a reputable agent who will display your listing online with excellence.

Buyers:

As a buyer, you’re in luck! There are so many sites to explore when looking for a new home. We do recommend going directly to branded real estate sites for the most up-to-date and reliable information, as opposed to more generalized listing sites such as Zillow or Realtor.com. The general listing sites can be useful when conducting market research and in the very beginning stages of your home search, but if you’re ready to buy you’ll need to act quickly! Your real estate agent can also get you more detailed reports from the MLS, which is extremely accurate on availability and is only accessible by realtors. The MLS has a variety of information and in-depth info on listings. All of these sites and so many more are out there just waiting to be explored. And the best part is, you don’t even have to leave your home to look for a house. ;)