89% of buyers start their home search online. And, the number of first-time homebuyers rose from 39% to 41% in the past year. The majority of these first-time buyers are around 30 years old.
What do these facts are figures mean? That today’s buyers are quite sophisticated when it comes to finding a home online and they don’t stop there! While they are searching for the home of their dreams, they are also doing their research. Buyers are going online to obtain detailed information about the neighborhood, schools, market statistics and more. They are very educated from their online research – they know the details, facts and figures about the property of interest.
Today’s Online Buyers…
- Are highly engaged in the process from start to finish
- Are taking more time to research homes online before contacting a Realtor
- Are interviewing more Realtors because they are looking for the right one
- Want Realtors to respond faster
- Want to preview more homes
- Are taking longer to make a decision
In today’s market it’s more important than ever to demonstrate your real estate expertise online and get in front of buyers who are actively looking for an agent. Your buyers want more from their Realtor. They want you to respond faster, be more knowledageable, more accessible, and negotiate even harder for them.