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Think about it. Almost anything we need to find anymore can most easily
be found by going on-line.
In the Real Estate market, the Internet has
become a very valuable tool. |
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The
San Jose Mercury News wanted to know the reasons
that home buyers would go to web sites to help
in their search and according to the National Association
of Realtors, here is what they found:
» Find
homes that you want your agent to show you.
» Narrow
your search by previewing homes.
» To
find a specific real estate
agent.
» Investigate
options for financing and down payment.
» Pre-Qualify
for a mortgage.
» Get
information on mortgage lenders
and rates.
» Learn
about specific neighborhoods.
» Start
a mortgage on-line.
Buyers can feel overwhelmed when looking at moving. If you must re-locate
to another suburb, city or state, the internet offers a wide variety
of ways to investigate those potential areas without leaving your desk!
There are web sites devoted to every aspect of real estate, from all-inclusive
to the smallest questions. The California Association of Realtors began
surveying home buyers in 2001 about how they used the internet. 28%
of those surveyed were considered “internet buyers” because
they used the web for part of their buying process. In their most recent
survey, the percentage of internet buyers grew to 41% over the last
three years!
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The
process has allowed real estate agents to save
time and to be more organized as well.
When people go on-line as the first step of the home buying process,
chances are that by the time they contact a realtor they already know
their preferences, price range and what may be available in that range.
In real estate, the Internet has helped change the business for the better.
It makes the entire process less stressful for everyone involved. Buyers
who research homes on-line tend to spend less time looking for a home,
as much as half the time as non internet users. |
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One realtor said that
internet surfers made communication with clients
easier, and with options like email listings, buyers
feel that they have a wider choice of homes available
to them.
53% of real estate agents are using the internet as a marketing tool
according the National Association of Realtor’s 2001 membership
profile. That’s up from 14% in the year 2000. 77% use E-mail,
43% of agents have a website and 82% are associated with someone who
has a website.
While the internet has revolutionized the real estate industry, agents
agree that it will never completely replace human contact. That will
always be an important factor. It can however, greatly speed up the
home buying process when buyers already have an idea of where and what
they are looking for.
Surveys show that consumers like the internet as an aid, but still
rely on real estate professionals and services to guide them through
the purchase of a home. It is encouraging to see modernization of this
kind be nothing but a positive for all involved!
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The Fred
Martin Team
Century 21 Alpha
1901 S. Bascom Ave
Suite 500
Campbell, CA 95008
408-369-2060
fredmartin@aol.com
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