If you’re getting ready to put your home on the market, no doubt you’ve planned on posting a “for sale” sign out front and possibly scheduling a few open house dates to lure buyers.
But have you planned to launch your sale in the mobile world? If not, you are missing a huge portion of potential buyers.
According to a survey by the National Association of Realtors, home buyers – particularly those in younger demographics – are now more likely to find out about your home on a mobile app or website than from traditional methods.
The top ten information sources used by homebuyers, according to the survey, are (in order of most used to least): online website; real estate agent; mobile or tablet website or app; yard sign; open house; online video site; home builder; print newspaper advertisement; home book or magazine; billboard.
Similarly, the percentage of homebuyers who say they found the home they ended up buying on the Internet grew from 8% in 2001 to 43% in 2014. Forty-three percent also noted that their first step in the home buying process was to search for properties online.
What kind of information is most important to buyers in those online searches? Survey respondents noted that they find photos of the home the most useful, followed by detailed information about the property; interactive maps, virtual tours, neighborhood information and other items.
Despite the burgeoning use of Internet resources, however, a personal touch is still critical to the selling process; 88% of homebuyers and sellers reported using a real estate agent to help them realize their goals.
Want to learn about the most comprehensive and accurate online tools? Contact our office to speak with an agent!