Is your Realtor using the latest Technology to market your home? If not they should be!

Today’s real estate industry is changing at a very rapid pace. A Realtor can no longer put the listing in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) or a “For Sale” sign out on the front lawn of a house and expect it to sell. Placing a classified ad in the local newspaper just isn’t enough anymore. I have been a Realtor for over 18 years and during that time our industry greatly changed.  Now to be at top Realtor you must change or you will become obsolete. I strongly believe in using the internet and social networking sites to market my clients property.  I and can be found on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter and have a Website and Blog.

Years ago when I began in real estate, the only way to know what was going on in the market was to go through a Multiple Listing Blue Book to preview new, reduced, pending, sold and expired listings. Our Blue Book was published only twice a month so information was frequently a week or more old. An agent’s top priorities then were to read the MLS book daily, visit broker’s open houses and network with agents.

Fast forward to today.  Realtors and clients in the 21st century get automated updates on homes for sale via emails as soon as the properties are listed. How is that for instant gratification? Of course we still go to broker’s open houses, network with agents and attend office meetings to get the scoop on what is happening in our local market; but the most exciting new component to real estate marketing is the internet. The internet has revolutionized our industry making it imperative for a real estate agent to jump on the technology bandwagon.

Some studies show up to 85% of today’s home buyers begin their home search on the internet.  Buyers can Google key words like La Jolla homes for sale, La Jolla area homes, or San Diego coastal homes to find the most current listings on the internet. Clients are now contacting me via email and even texting to let me know they have their list of properties and are ready to view them.

But why is this important to you, the Home Seller?  The simple answer is that there is a new dimension to the art of selling Real Estate. As I said earlier, selling real estate today is not just putting the listing in the MLS and an ad in the local newspaper anymore!  Home sellers today are very tech savvy, and they understand the importance of the web. The more eyes you have looking at your home, the greater the possibility of selling at the best price.

So if you are thinking of selling your home here are some important questions you need to ask your real estate agent:

1.      Does your real estate agent have a website? Websites offer timely buyer information and MLS home search tools?

2.      Does your real estate agent have a Blog? A Real Estate blog is a type of website, usually maintained with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material about today’s market.  This is an interactive website which also allows consumers to connect with a real estate agent when searching for homes. Blogs are the Web 2.0 version of a website.

3.      What kind of traffic does your agent get on their website or real estate blog? Traffic equals exposure to your home for sale. This means it can create a faster sale.

4.      Does your real estate agent create a personalized home website for every home they are listing? Where do they market this website? Do they provide weekly updates and statistics for the seller to review, such as how many home buyers have clicked on your site.

5.      Which social networking sites does your realtor belong to? Using these sites has become a necessity to keep up with trends in real estate marketing.

6.      Does your Realtor have a presence on the web? Google your real estate agent. See how often they are sited.

Most of my business has traditionally been from past clients or referrals, but now having a presence on the web has become extremely important.  I have been revamping my marketing for the last couple of years and when you Google Michelle Silverman, my name comes up first.  I have a Website and a Blog that home buyers can access for all kinds of real estate and community information.  I am getting more leads from the internet than ever before.  Thank goodness things have changed!  Please contact me to learn more about Real Estate Internet Marketing or what’s happening in today’s market!