IN THIS ISSUE:

TECHNOLOGY
BY WENDY FORSYTHE
Selling Homes in the Digital Age:
Make Technology Work for You
Today’s homebuyers are
hungry for information —
and they expect to get that
information with a few quick
taps on their smartphones,
tablets or laptops. In fact,
according to a recent study
by the National Association
of REALTORS® and Google,
the Internet is one of the
primary sources for real estate
information for 90 percent
of homebuyers. In addition,
the study found that nearly
one-fifth of real estate related
searches were conducted on
a mobile device (smartphone
or tablet).
Reaching potential buyers
where they are is critical
— and buyers are online.
Although the majority of
homebuyers still find their
homes with the help of an
agent, the number that
discover their homes online
is increasing. In fact, in one
recent survey by the California
Association of REALTORS®,
the number of homebuyers
that found their home online
jumped from 16 percent in
2012 to 37 percent in 2013,
and remains on the rise.
Researching listings is just the
beginning of online research
as today’s homebuyers are
using online resources for
every aspect of their home
purchase. So how can real
estate agents compete in an
increasingly competitive online
marketplace
First you have to be online in
a real and transparent way.
Consumers are not only looking
for the details of the home
they want to buy, but also the
kind of agent and company
with whom they want to work.
If you are not online consumers
are not going to find you or be
able to validate your skills and
expertise.
The second key to competing
online is to create trust with
the consumer. Creating trust
in a digital environment can
be tricky, but it starts with
providing information in a
september/october issue The PIN MAGAZINE | 46