How the Internet Is Changing Real Estate Marketing

The real estate market is far different than it was several years ago as the Internet has changed the way real estate is sold today. It used to be that people used newspaper ads and open houses to find homes. Today, web connected consumers are using the Internet. Most homebuyers don't shop for homes advertised in the newspaper any longer and open houses seem to pull more "looky loos" than qualified buyers. It's been reported that more than 80% of people looking for a home start their home search on the Internet.

It only makes sense in a time when gasoline prices are hitting record highs and the demand on people's time is ever increasing, that they would be searching for a more efficient way to find their dream home. Why spend hours driving from home to home when you can see dozens of properties online in the same time? For Realtors hungry for business, an Internet presence is not an optional marketing tool... it's a requirement. And, any web-savvy Realtor today knows that to remain competitive in the marketplace, they must be utilizing the latest technologies available to them for selling home fast and for the best price.

The once popular open house has also lost much of it's appeal for the same reasons. With the availability of virtual tours and video on the Internet today, why would anyone leave the comfort of their home to spend hours driving from house to house when they can check dozens of listings on the Internet?

Showing properties remains the primary way of selling a property, and Realtors now have a new way to show properties to their prospects with another powerful Internet communication tool. The Virtual Open House replaces the one-way communication with your prospects with two-way live interaction between the Realtor and their prospect. It may require a little extra work, but well worth it. You want to get your listings on the buyers "short list" of homes to visit in person.

The most successful Realtors know the power of using Internet technology to leverage their time to reach more homebuyers. And, now, with the help of a Virtual Open House, real estate agents will be able to attract more qualified buyers, show even more properties and generate more income. In a buyers market, its critical that Realtors do everything they can to position their clients property so it will stand out from the competition.

It is essential that your homes for sale be listed and advertised in as many places as possible. Reaching the largest potential buyer pool increases the likelihood of finding the right buyer quickly. Certainly the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Internet, print advertising, signage, and inter-office and outer-office networking is important. But, it's not enough to simply alert buyers of available properties. Your marketing of homes must stand out from the rest. The Virtual Open House will demonstrate your commitment to using the latest technology to show more properties.

If your marketing plan is newspaper ads and open houses, let me ask you... "How's that working for you?" If you're like most Realtors today, your answer will include, "not as well as it used to."

About the Author
Vic Bilson is an experienced Internet marketer who recently developed an intriguing new eBook called the Virtual Open House that shows real estate agents how to use web conference technology to show and sell more homes on the Internet.