Gone are the days of house hunting with “a thick book, red pen and scheduled tours,” reports Middletown Journal, as the majority of buyers have now moved to the internet to search for their new home.
According to the report, 89 per cent of property hunters in the US now surf the internet when looking for a new home, and estate agents are responding by carrying out property marketing through various internet platforms.
Websites such as Facebook and Twitter are used to post new properties, while some agents create YouTube channels to post videos, such as property video tours and local area guides. Other new technology allows smart-phone users to text a code listed on the board of a “for sale/ lease” sign, and instantly receive property photography of the interior, while the agent receives a customer lead, according to the publication.
Moving forward, one agent interviewed by the Middletown Journal said the challenge for agents was to enhance the mobile experience, while another, Cheri Hewald, said she didn’t feel the advances in technology threatened the role of the agent in anyway.
“They need that guidance, they need that education — that trusted advisor,” she said.
