March 09, 2009

Is the Internet Changing Your Life Too?

There is probably no more recognized word in today’s English language than the word “Internet.” This new technology has changed the way we interface with each other, how we do business, and how we do commerce. I was at a meeting with over 500 Realtors when the presenter asked us how many leads we had received from our postal mailings recently? A few hands went up which represented a very small percentage of the total group. The next question was how many in the group had used the telephone book recently to look up a phone number? A few more hands were raised, especially those who were older, but not everyone who was older. As I thought back on how I looked up numbers my mind went straight to Google! I couldn’t even remember where my phone book was! Each question the presenter asked found its way back to the Internet.

The way we search for homes has changed because of the Internet too! Statistics may vary a few percentage points in these surveys but almost 90% of the general public begin their search for homes online, some as much as 18 months before they really start looking for homes. The Internet will offer all the information a Seller or Buyer could ever want or need. Because of the Internet, information will not be the end product desired by the client, the interpretation of the information will be how Realtors will service their clients.

For example, in the medical field, the technician takes the x-ray but the technician doesn’t interpret the information. The interpretation of the information is left to the trained eye of the doctor. In the Realtor world, it will not be the information that our client will desire because they can get that on the Internet. What they will want from us as Realtors will be the interpretation of the data. What does all this information about real estate mean and how can it be used to sell a home faster, find and purchase a home with real value? Information will not be what our clients want from us, it will be helping them to put all this information into a useable form that will benefit and bless their lives.

As I was writing this blog I was seated with my daughter and son-in-law watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. My wife thought it looked funny for us to be seated to watch a great movie but all three of us were on computers and on the Internet searching for information, checking bank balances, and downloading images for use in a presentation. What better proof of the current and future power of the Internet than this?

This is a great site on the Internet for information about home sales and rental properties. Here is a great site to find homes and agents across the United States if you need to relocate. On the Internet, if you want specific information about buying real estate for use as part of your retirement plan, this site is great. If you want local information about lifestyles, local real estate values and trends in Northern Utah then try this blog as a good resource for market data. Pardon the personal ties to all of these websites.

Posted By: Steve Randall