Has the real estate agent been hurt by the increase in technology in the past few years? Does today's home buyer have too much information for real estate agents?
It is my belief that the home buyers still like the convenience of the real estate agent. However, buyers have taken strongly to utilizing the tools provided by many real estate websites such as: Realtor.com and the many other company websites. These websites provide tools that educate the home buyer on individual listings, market values, and the proper steps to take in order to choose a home that suits them. In addition, these web pages supply visual content to attract buyers to individual listings. Professional photographs, virtual tours, slide shows, area maps, printable brochures, and additional content makes the home shopping experience interactive and memorable for the buyer.
So what about the real estate agent? When are they a factor in this process? According to the National Association of Realtors, "81 percent of buyers who surfed the Internet for a home ended up buying it through an agent." The agent that is not obsolete is the agent that has used these tools to showcase their listings. The home buyers are fully aware of the availability of the Internet listing and are beginning to demand it. What will the future hold for the agent/buyer relationship?
Monday, April 2, 2007
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