It's true! I'm not talking about a few clicks of the mouse to sign the settlement papers (not yet, anyways), but the home buying process has become less about flipping through the newspaper and driving around to open houses, and more about surfing the net to see what's available instead.
Even as a Realtor, it can seem overwhelming to post home information to all of the different home search sites available out there. Which site do you use, Realtor.com? Trulia? Zillow? Hotpads? Kajiji? Craigslist??
In the land of property marketing, the Internet is King!
Your choice of website as a buyer is not as important as it is for sellers, however. Owners looking to sell need to make sure that they're on every site possible, which means finding an agent who really knows the web and is aware of the latest trends and preferences of picky buyers.
The toughest part about it is that you may not even realize how important your online marketing is! When a buyer comes to me looking for a home, we look at specific criteria: 
- Beds
- Baths
- Size (square footage)
- Garage
- Location
- Etc.
Those buyers rarely take my lists as gospel, they're also going to look at home, online, and when they're searching on their own time, they may find that property they want to see that doesn't quite match the criteria they gave me.
You need to make sure that those buyers have the opportunity to see your home, regardless of which site they're searching on. Over 80% of all home buyers start their search online, and many times those buyers have already seen a wide range of potential offerings before they even step foot into a Realtor's office. If, for example, a buyer tells me they want a home in Waldorf(Waldorf, MD photos), but they home home and search the entire county, they may end up finding their next home is really in White Plains or La Plata (La Plata, MD photos)!
80%!!
If that means 20% of buyers aren't using the internet now to find a home, You're relying on 1/5 of the total market to hold your home's buyer. It's an incredibly limiting factor!! It's an absolute necessity now to make sure your home is plugged in to as many search sites as possible. Right now, my listings are uploaded onto over 30 (30!!) different online search sites (and that number grows every quarter), simply because exposure is how homes are sold, period. You can have the nicest home in three states, but how do you expect to sell it if nobody knows it exists?
Which Websites Work?
I can clearly see that not all search sites are created equally, and realtor.com is the best ROR (Rate Of Return), but to me it's an irrelevant question. Why Wouldn't you use ALL OF THEM??? Exposure is the goal, right? More Sites = More Exposure, so make sure your listing can be found everywhere!
I've also had people ask me if websites such as this blog help as well, and my first response is "Well, you read it, right?" ;-) In all seriousness, I have helped people buy AND sell through this blog, so it certainly doesn't hurt! Again, it's the concept of exposure.
Why The Web?
Well, the bottom line here is that people have finally become comfortable looking for homes online, and they've come to expect to see their next home before they even pass through the door. Buyers are already hip to the lingo: Virtual Tours, Slideshows, etc., and quite simply, the convenience of it all makes sense and attracts people to the medium. You could be searching at the office or at home in your bunny slippers!
This is Part 1 of a series of articles designed to educate sellers on how to maximize their returns and get their home SOLD in a buyers market! Check back every Wednesday for the next edition of the Savvy Seller's Blog Series!
~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000
301-653-8116
Waldorf and Southern Maryland Real Estate
www.teambenya.com
