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| "The
Internet And Home Buyers – A Wining Combination |
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. 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. |
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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.
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.
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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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