We are almost there.
My opinion is that within the next two years, the internet will be responsible for initiating 90+% of all real estate transfers. Of course, this is very bad news for print publications, but the flexibility and search capabilities of the internet makes flipping through a magazine randomly looking for a home a waste of time. I’m sure those options will linger for those who prefer them , but it won’t be much further down the road where print publications cannot financially survive.
Why am I telling you this? Because the age of the internet is fully upon us today and there are buyers and sellers who have completely embraced the technology to their advantage. This means these buyers and sellers will have a significant jump on the competition in terms of speed, knowledge, and timely market information. If you are not on the same playing field, using the same technology, your dream home could be snapped up before you even know it exists, or your neighbor’s home sold before you get a first showing.
What can you do to catch up if you are new to using the internet in this manner, or to improve your technique if you have some experience? The short answer is to partner with a Realtor who is internet savvy and let them help you learn to fully utilize the system. Certainly I have an obvious bias in this situation, but I also have a tremendous amount of experience with the internet and the know-how to make it work for my clients. The best part is I give the advice and guidance for free, but I do ask that you strongly consider using me to help you close your transaction.
Another option you have is to sit in front of the computer and start using the internet. Go to Google and begin to search for terms that relate to what you wish to do. Read as many articles as you can online that give guidance on how to find homes on the internet. You should be aware that you can find out a huge amount of public information on the internet, most likely for free, that will expose critical information about specific properties that can be used favorably in negotiations. You will most likely need someone with significant experience to find this information (like me), but it is available.
There are other options, if you please, but the point is to get involved, learn the technology, and get ahead of the competition NOW! Even if you cannot use a computer, don’t own a computer, or are not even sure what the internet is (it makes me wonder how you are reading this post!!), you can make the technology work for you by using a knowledgeable partner. All you need to do is communicate in the terms that are familiar to you and have your partner translate it into internet-speak.
I promise you will be amazed if you have the opportunity to see the full power of the internet in action, and you will never want to go back to the old ways. It’s just too convenient, logical, and saves so much time and effort. Give me a call, or send an email and I will be happy to demonstrate to you this wonderful tool. You can also visit my website, Real Estate Louisville, to search the Louisville MLS for free!
90% is a little high, but I do get most of my leads from the internet.
I agree, 90% is high now, but shortly it will be the norm. I’m glad the public will have the option, but I think it will be even more important they get professional help to manage the transaction…
Excellent advice! I spend a lot of my time working with Realtors across the country on helping them establish their presence online, and would say 90% is not at all too high, or shooting for the stars. The majority of my clients already find most of their prospective buyers through the Internet, mainly from their websites.
The wonderful thing about the Internet, is the prospects come to you. If a person can type and hit publish they can be operating their own little real estate portal to connect with a much larger audience than they could by banging on doors and making phone calls. Thanks for sharing, its nice to see someone else with the same ideas.