Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Today’s home buyer has certain expectations of a real estate agent due to the way that technology has evolved into transforming our everyday lives. While each agent is unique in how they work with buyers and what services that they provide certain services are expected… Realtor.com states that over 50 percent of consumers surveyed reported that they were unhappy with an agent because of the agent’s poor response time and general lack of responsiveness. In today’s technologically advanced world there are many more demands placed on a real estate agent because of a better informed home buyer. The average consumer is well educated about the market and typically knows what they want in a property, this comes from them spending upwards of 6 months researching and learning the market prior to even speaking with a realtor.
Today’s home buyer is more educated because of the use of online tools such as Zillow, Realtor.com and Trulia (just to name a few). Each website provides a wealth of information and a lot of times the buyer may know the inventory on the market better than the realtor! Recent statistics from the National Association of Realtors on Home Buyers and Sellers in 2012 showed that the average (median) home search took 12 weeks and over that time period only 10 homes were viewed.
By utilizing the internet the home buyer is taking more action on their own without the assistance of a realtor. According to a National Association of Realtors survey 62 percent of home buyers walked through a home that they had viewed online. In addition home buyers are selecting a realtor based on online searches; the study also showed that 32 percent of home buyers found a real estate agent as a result of an internet search. The internet is fast becoming the main go to for home buyers to find more information about real estate and an agent. Ninety percent of home buyers use the internet for a home search, 87 percent utilize a real estate agent for searching for homes and 53 percent look for yard signs.
So what does today’s home buyer really want from a real estate agent? According to a survey by the National Association of Realtors, the average home buyer or seller doesn’t care about an agent's accomplishments. They care about finding the right house that fits their needs, negotiating the deal and obtaining assistance with the paperwork. The home buyer is well educated and wants to put their research on the market to work; they also want a quick response time from the agent and an agent that can provide outstanding service. One in every 275 people in the United States is a licensed real estate agent so what sets an agent apart and differentiates them from the rest of the realtor crowd?
