Internet, Latest Technology Drive Homes Sales

Over the last five years Internet searches for homes have gone through the roof.

I remember when we first created a website, we had a monopoly on local home searches. However, at that time there were very few home buyers who depended on the Internet to find a home. The favorite expression was, “What is a dot com?” Today over 90 percent of home searches begin online.

Recently, Google and the National Association of Realtors joined forces to research how buyers are using the internet. I thought you might be interested in some of the results of this study.

Real estate searches on Google have increased 253 percent over the last four years. At various times during the search for a home, buyers used different online tools to find homes.

At the beginning of their search, they use websites and search engines. In the middle of their search they use mapping to locate homes they wish to drive by. They use mobile devices toward the end of their search. In beginning of their search  approximately 69 percent would most likely use area terms such as “Peachtree Corners”  or “homes in Peachtree Corners” in their search.  

First time home buyers used the Internet to learn about terms such as FHA loans hoping to educate themselves about the process as well as doing home searches.

It is no surprise that age plays a role in the internet shopping. Thirty-one percent of buyers who act based on information from a website are between the ages of 25 and 34. Seventy-five percent of seniors begin their search on the Internet.

As a seller you need to be keenly aware of the impact of the Internet. You want your home to be accessible from a website that comes up on the first page of a Google search. Knowing your Realtor has an area related website and a mobile presence are critical now and in the future when hiring someone to market your home.

At present, few real estate agents have their own App for smartphones or iPads. That is about to change as cost drop and the importance of this marketing tool grows in popularity. Yes I do have an App for that, as the folks at Apple might say. Go to the Apps store and then search on your Smartphone or iPad for “Nancy Minor” without the quotes. Download the free App and search for homes in Metro Atlanta. It is a feature-rich way to access homes for sale. Of course, we can be found in a variety of traditional websites such as TopAtlantaAgent.com

Take a look at this home, new on the market in Neely Farm.
4451 River Bottom Drive, it's priced at $589,000 and listed by Lori Rohde, Keller Williams Realty.