Highlights from the 2009 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

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Highlights from the 2009 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

NAR has recently released the 2009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. The report compiles the results of 9,138 surveys returned by buyers and sellers who sold or purchased a home between July 2008 and June 2009. The surveys were sent to buyers and sellers based on deed transfers and other public records. The complete report is available for purchase at www.realtor.org . Here are some highlights I found interesting:

•· 47% of all buyers were first time buyers.

•· 62% of first time buyers reported that the primary reason for buying a home was the desire to be a homeowner, 35% of all buyers reported that as the number 1 reason.

•· The median age of all buyers was 39, same as last year.

•· 83% of all first time buyers are under the age 44.

•· 62% of all buyers are under age 44.

•· 68% of the buyers surveyed in the Northeast make less than $100,000 per year.

•· 63% of all buyers had no children under the age of 18 residing at home.

•· Buyers in the Northeast moved an average of 10 miles from where they currently lived.

•· 90% of all buyers used the internet to search.

•· 84% of buyers reported the photos to be the most useful information.

•· The number one action taken after viewing a home online was to drive by or visit the home.

•· 66% of buyers reported that they used a print ad to search, but only between 84% to 90% (depending on the print medium) reported that those sources were "not useful".

•· 36% of buyers found the home they purchased through an agent, 36% found the home they purchased online, less than 3%found the home they purchased in a print ad.

•· 77% of buyers purchased their home with an agent.

•· 85% of sellers sold their home with an agent.

•· 39% of the mortgages were FHA loans.

•· 87% of buyers viewed real estate as a good investment.

So, besides making a handy list, what else does the report tell us? It tells us specifically who the buyers and sellers are, what they want from us, where they want to go and most importantly, what their priorities are. Valuable information for any customer service professional!

I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward The Lancaster Connection.com to your friends, subscribe and as always, if you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-490-8999!

Your Friend in Real Estate,

Jason Burkholder

Weichert, Realtors - Engle & Hambright

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

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If you want to search Lancaster County homes for sale, visit www.JasonsHomes.com and use my Easy MLS home search that shows you all the homes for sale in the Lancaster County PA Multiple Listing Service (MLS) !

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Posted by Jason Burkholder, Sales Manager Assoc. Broker, Realtor, e-Pro on 12/15/2009 03:21 PM

Comments (102)

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102 Comments on Highlights from the 2009 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

DEC

2009

Jason - some great stats to keep in mind. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Thanks for reading!

Hi Jason. For NAR members the NAR Store online offers it as a free download. As long as you sign in. ~ Lana

Jason -

It's always fun to have these statistics - especially this time of year when a few facts go a long way with holiday chitchat. Besides, it makes you really know what you're talking about!

Michael

I think one of the most interesting stats is the age of buyers... We have to be where THEY are...

Good information. Interesting to see that those who view the home online drive by immediately afterwards to view the home. I just thought of a great idea to target these clients

Great post. Thanks for all the interesting highlights. It is great information to know and present to potential sellers in this tough market. Thanks again!

Interesting facts. I would have thought there would have been more FHA loans cloising.

Lana - Thanks for the info, good to know it's free!

Michael - Statistics are definitely fun!

Lane - I agree, one of the other stats I thought very telling is that 63% have no kids at home, if we are selling 4 bedroom homes the marketing is very different when the buyers don't need the room!

Neil - Yes, it goes to show that although people look online, they still want to see things in person and a better online presentation gets more of them to the door!

Joyce - there are lots more where that came from and some wonderful seller stats in there as well, all things that will help sellers see just where they stand!

Russ - yeah, I thought so too but remmeber this cuts off at the end of June this year, so I expect next years to be higher. I was very interested in comparing to last year but interestingly enough this is the first year NAR asked that question!

Hi Jason -- Photos being #1 jumped out at me, while the average agent takes substandard photos -- I know I did until I took a few professional photography classes and got some better equipment. Huge disconnect between what buyers want and some listing agents produce.

90% of all buyers used the internet to search.

Hi Jason,

I believe it! That % has been climbing for years.

Hi Jason,

Thanks a bunch for the great stats, I'm sort of a numbers person myself when it comes to market data. To me what's important is how I can relate that to my consumers.

Btw, it looks like the 90% of home buyer searching online had increased from the prior 87% (at least that what my notes indicate. It just goes to show we're at the right place.

Contrats on the feauture!

DEC

2009

Jason~ Thanks for posting!! Great stats to be mindful of! Happy Holidays!

Great stats and thanks for reposting them here. Looks good for us.

Hello Jason,

Thank you for reposting the statistic. Great to have the information.

Rita

Even at 90% searching online sounding like such a big number, I'm still wondering how there can be an entire 10% NOT searching online! I'd believe 99%!

Best regards, Gretchen

it will be interesting as the demographics change with technology -- baby boomers vs. xy generation and how technology will become increasingly important part of a real estate professional's arsenal

Thank you Jason! I was going to dive into this after Christmas, but now I have the main facts! Thank you, thank you!

Great summary. I downloaded (for free!) the report and read it a few days ago. I highly suggest reading it, if anyone hasn't already.

What I found particularly interesting is how on many of the stats they report, they further break it down by age. I think this is valuable information if you target your marketing towards a particular group. And it gives insight into how the next crop of home buyers are thinking vs. a Boomer buyer for example.

Wow, "90% of all buyers used the internet to search."

THAT is a sea change from 10 years ago.

I love getting data free to NAR members. I used to buy it for 50 bucks or whatever a shot.

Jason,

I downloaded the report a few weeks ago, but haven't had time to read it. Thank you for this summary. The two most important points for me are that...

•· 90% of all buyers used the internet to search.

•· 84% of buyers reported the photos to be the most useful information.

This are actionable for us in our business planning for next year.

Great Post! Thanks for taking the time to break it down!

Thanks for the info. I went to the NAR site and did a free download of the whole report. I also liked the NAR Member Profile report too. It will be good reading material.

Thanks for the abridged version!

Jason, Great job drilling it down for us. Thanks!! Now we need to implement this in our target marketing strategy

Good stuff! Thanks for sharing Jason. I like how the Internet search is up to 90% but seriously, who are those 10% who don't?!?

Jason

Thank you for summarizing the profile of real estate buyers.... Knowledge is power...

It was interesting to see the amount of homes financed through FHA loans.

Jason - thanks for the stats and congrats on the feature!

Great article...love the facts , now I don't have to chase them myself.

This goes back to a post a month or so back about the value of photos and quality of photos on your site.

If everyone is looking on line and photos are the most important content on the site, ....better go out and get a good camera, learn how to REALLY use it ....or pay for a good photographer. Then get them out there for buyers to find them.

Jason--90% of buyers search on the internet now...That stat just keeps on going higher doesnt it?

Thank you for taking the time to provide this useful information. As always its time to go back to the basics and by treating our real estate function as career professionals and not as a job. Its all about service and listening to clients needs and wants. Happy Holidays

You can also download this information for free on the NAR website. I love these stats.

As an Exclusive Buyer's Agent, I have always focused on good photographs. I know what buyers are looking for in the photographs and it is not the bed or the couch. I am always amazed at how many seller agents don't get it. Buyers want to 'read' the house. Of course video is the best way to read a house, and very soon that will become more standard. Thanks for your post and happy holidays to all.

Jason,

Thanks for the iinfo, very nice of you to post them.All the best in 2010.

Great post, thanks for summarizing this report. I reblogged it to our blog so our readers can see the info as well. Congrats on the feature!

Jason, thank you for the updated numbers. It did not surprise me that 90% of buyers used the internet to search and that a high percentage found print medium not as helpful.

Very good summary. Thanks for posting it.

Jason;

Lana (#3) is right, the download is free to NAR members and is a whopping 116 pages.

I like your summation which made the statistics easier to digest.

I am surprised the FHA loans are not closer to 50%. That is predominatly what my new agents and I have been dealing with here in the Philly area.

Thanks for the great post! Stats underline why Professional Home Staging is so vital to attract more buyers and sell quicker. 90% view homes online, and 84% say photos are most useful information in determining the end result. Photos of professionally staged rooms are important in the success of marketing a home. Allow the home to put it's best face forward. Your numbers just bring it home!

Stats are interesting to a lot of people, but we have to then determine what the implications are. See this particular one?

84% of buyers reported the photos to be the most useful information.

Our MLS will now be requiring at least one photo to accompany the property description within a certain number of days, or a fine will be imposed. I think the stat above gives us a good understanding of WHY!

Good stats. I wonder if they get skewed by who decides to return the post and who does not?

Jason great recap ! I'm on this to scoop up 25 more pts !!!! *L*

Nice highlights. Now I will have to check for my local area stats; California, that is. Re #41 photo - if you can get 25 photos in your MLS, do it! It's the photos that engage the Buyer emotionally. I just sold a house with several photos of a "darling, pink decorated" little girls room. The parents told me their 6 year old was begging them to buy that house so she could have that room. All else considered, you know the pressure from the little daughter had some influence!

Wow, had no idea this would be a featured post, thank your for the feature and all the comments and reblogs, I will be back later to this afternoon to discuss further!

If "39% of the mortgages were FHA loans." , what is going to happen as FHA loans get harder to qualify for?

This is great!!! These stats really attest to the need to adapt and grow in how agents are reaching their buyers - since buyers are changing how they find homes. Its kinda "keep up or give up" at this point. As a creator of real estate technology - rather than an agent myself - this report really helps support the viability of my product and it lets me know I'm moving in the right direction.

For example, according to the 2009 Vlingo Consumer Mobile Messaging Report (http://vlingo.com/news/whitepapers.jsp) the use of texting as a consistent form of communication has increased in all age groups between 2008 and 2009:

87% of 20 and 30-somethings now text regularly
64% of those in their 40s now text regularly
46% of those in their 50s now text regularly

Combine these statistics with yours above about the median age of home buyers being 39 plus 83% of first time home buyers and 62% of all home buyers being under 44 - and you can no longer argue that texting is not a valuable tool for communicating with your potential buyers. In fact, for the first time texting has surpassed phone calls (according to the US Census: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091215/ap_on_go_ot/us_census_texting).

I'm so excited to go back and redo my marketing materials now to incorporate these stats you gave us! Thanks so much for posting this!!!!!

Jenn

The number of FHA loans used to purchase homes seems really low......I guess it depends on where you live. In foreclsoure ally probably 90% of all home purchases by real people (not invetsors who flip them) are using FHA/VA loans. Not many FTHB's have 20% down payment.

Jason,

Thanks for pointing out that I had missed seeing this statistics! Let's work on getting the public to use MORE agents in 2010 for Listing & Buying homes!

Jason, thanks for sharing NARs insight into today's buyers and sellers. Ditto #40!

Thanks for the key-points post. I am heading to NAR now to download the entire report.

Thanks for the interesting information. I'll have to download it and see what other interesting statistics it contains. Our broker is going over local statistics today as well so I will be well informed!

Valuable info....thanks very much for the stats. Certainly explains why our market....a second home market....has been so slow this year!

Excellent Stats. I will certainly forward this to all my clients. It certainly takes the bite out of the fact that print ads do not work!

Miriam Munzer, Broker - Landmark Realty of Orange County, NY

I have been wanting to get my hands on this report...you just made it easy. Thank you.

Hi Jason, Any idea where the trendline is going for buyers using an agent ? Hope your Holiday Season is the best ever !

Thanks for the info.. I found it striking the number of FHA loans. This points to fact that the borrowers probably went to this type loan for two reasons,,

1) lower downpayment

2 Lower credit scores

There are changes to the FHA program that shall increase the downpayment and additionally lenders are raising the minimum credit scores higher than the FHA guarantee program requires.

This shall impact negatively the number of qualifying borrowers for this program.

I hope the conventional conforming lender loan programs find a risk / price tiering that is affordable for these buyers. It is not good when the growing majority of loans are from the government guarantee programs and not the secondary investor markets.

This lender change could be an indication of higher risk sensitivity to the government loans and pressure to increase rates to accomodate that perceived risk. Demonstrates the investor market is still skittish toward high LTV loans.

We shall see what the next year brings.

it would be interesting to note what the change has been in the last year, three and 5 years for comparison purposes. Interesting to note that they did not ask any questions regarding utilization of the first time homebuyer tax credit and whether it was an incentive to buy or sell the home.

I love the stat about pictures and the "not useful" of print advertising.

Great info Jason.... I saw the high number for 1st time home buyers...almost half. Does this mean that the stimulus has actually helped? Even more importantly, what happens when it goes away next year?

Thanks for the great information. I also thought the percentage of FHA loans would be higher than 39%. As Michael Z. mentioned in the previous post, The guidelines for FHA are going to change for 2010. Nothing is decided definitely yet, but possible changes include raising the minimum downpayment to possibly 5%, higher minimum FICO score, and lower the percentage for seller paid costs. So bottom line is that things are going up for the FHA program which will result in fewer buyers qualifying. The Mortgage Banker Association is forecasting higher rates as well in early 2010. For more info see my blog at www.mnhomeloanguy.com. Thanks again

It's amazing how these stats change year to year. One thing that caught my eye is "90% of all buyers used the internet to search."

I remember when that number was 70%, just a few years ago.

Great stats. Part of the big picture to know the market and who and where the buyers are.

Jason: Thank you for sharing these numbers. I always hate picking through the whole report.

This is great information that supports some findings of my own. 83% of all first time buyers are under the age 44 and 62% of all buyers are under age 44! Generation X buyers clearly are driving the marketplace. In fact, the combined Gen X and Y demographics exceed babyboomers in number. It is not surprising to me that 90% of these buyers use the internet to search for homes. They use the internet for virtually everything, especially research. The importance of photographs also supports my findings that this segment of society is an extremely visual bunch. Afterall, they grew up infront of the comuter, TV and high graphic games.

The million dollar question becomes how do we convert these online researchers into a qualified buyer? For us babyboomers, I think Jenn hit the the nail on its head with her comment, more than ever we will either "keep up or give up" to stay relevant in today's market.

Jason,

Thanks for the post. Some of the numbers were not suprising but the one about 63% of home buyers having no kids under 18 was a real eye opener. I'm sure that that is a nation wide statastic and I would doubt that it is true in my area. Still it is suprising.

Thanks for the post.

Thanks for the info Jason. You've prompted me to get my copy!

Congrats on the feature! Great info to know, I'll have to get my copy at NAR, thanks!

Jason, we are moving deeper into the Gen X buyer then Gen Y hence the need to be better at social media.

Again I have to apologize to all you great commentors, my schedule isn't cooperating with me in allowing me the time to give you all the responses you deserve, I will be back later to discuss your excellent comments!

Great Stat's Thanks for reading through the info. I am going to print it out and keep it in front of me.

Thanks for summarizing these really useful stats! I'm bookmarking for future reference. Happy holidays to you.

Thank you for putting this information together for us so we have a nice snap-shot of what the NAR sats for 08-09 were. As a home stager I must remind people how important it is to have your marketing photos and homes exterior staged before listing. As we can see it can make or break potential buyer interest.

Congrats on Feature! Way to go. I guess I picked a good re-blog. lol

Chris - I couldn't agree more, good pictures are invaluable in marketing a home online.

Bruce - I agree, that number has nowhere to go but up, the next challenge is how to successfully move websites to cell phones

Linda - I agree, numbers are invaluable in understanding how to navigate the market trends

Stephen - Thank you for reading!

James - Thank you for reading as well!

Rita - You're welcome, thanks for reading!

Gretchen - I personally think the other 10% don't own a computer!

Scott - I agree, Gen XY are displacing Boomers and Boomers need to get used to it as much as we need to get used to changing the way we think.

Karen - Glad I can save you some work, but there is much, much more there so give it a read anyway

Sara - Absolutely, the age breakdowns really illustrate the differences in how these folks operate

Jim - 90% is huge and I love Free as well!

Gail - There is so much more that can be incorporated into actionable business plans, I have barely scratched the surface

Darin - You're welcome, thanks for reading!

Christine - Thanks for reading, you're right, the member profile gives just as much great info on your competition

John - You're welcome, thanks for reading!

John - Absolutely, even the best info is no good when we don't incorporate it into our plans!

Tre - Those are the people who still think it's 1989!

Jolene - You're welcome, I think that FHA number will be a little higher next year

Melissa - Thanks for reading, hope the stats help!

Larry - I agree, if you can't take good pics get someone to do it for you, but with how easy digital cameras are these days, there really is no excuse for bad or zero pics

Teri - Yup, 90% now, 87% last year, 84% the year before, they certainly won't be going down!

Joseph - You're welcome, and I agree, listening to the customer and knowing what they want is the key to success!

Cheryl - I love free info, especially as good as this!

Peter - I agree, video is the future, but I wonder how long that will take to come online when we can't seem to get consistent photos by everyone?

Ron & Alexandra - Thank you for reading!

Kevin & Monica - Thank you for the re-blog, I'm glad you found the info helpful!

Ty - I agree, print advertising is definitely on the way to extinction

Ownersway - You're welcome, thanks for reading!

Suzanne - It is a big one, I'm glad you found the stats helpful! I expect the FHA numbers to be higher next time, this survey cut off at the end of June, so we are missing the last 5 months where it truly was higher

Barb - Absolutely, make it shine in the pics and it will sell!

Karen - I agree, understanding the stats is critical, it is surprising to me that MLS systems even need to make that rule, there should be many more than just 1!

Gene - I can't imagine they aren't a little off, considering it's a 7% return ratio, but they seem to be a good cross section so it can't be too bad

Mike - Scoop away!

Maren - Great story, all the reasons why we need good pics!

Fred - Nothing good will happen, I wrote a blog post on that recently as well, here it is if you're interested: http://activerain.com/blogsview/1367119/hud-secretary-donovan-woke-up-this-morning-and-got-himself-a-gun-

Jennifer - I agree, buyers want their info to be as mobile as they are!

Brad - I think area does play into the # of FHA loans, but I also think the report time period of July 08 to June 09 is why, as the number has climbed this year as other funding sources disappeared

Kathy - I agree, let's get that number up to 100%!

#51 - Thanks for reading!

Jayne - The entire report is full of m,any more useful tidbits, happy reading!

Nancy- Thanks for reading, go download it asap, you'll like what you read!

Kirsten - Yes, it would help explain that, second home markets are probably tougher than most, good luck in 2010!

Miriam - Absolutely, print ads are on life support, if it wouldn't put so many people put of work I'd say pull the plug, but consumers tell us time and time again they just don't care about print!

Zeb - You're welcome, I hope it helps! You can buy it or download for free from realtor.org!

Bill - Actually, the trend for buyers using an agent is pretty steady, most of them do! Hope your Holiday Season is great as well!

Michael - I agree, the FHA numbers are valuable, and raising the down payment requirement and requiring more cash out of pocket is a very bad thing indeed, I did a post on that that I linked in the comments above

WR Synergy - Yes, they actually show the trends in the report on some of these but it's a bit cumbersome to repost in blog format. I don't think they included a question about tax credits because the program has gone through so many changes it's hard to quantify a standard answer

Mike - Me too, the print ad ons is one of my favorites!

Greg - I'm not sure if it means the stimulus helped or not, I couldn't really show it here but the trend is more depressed in the "boom years" looking back, which to me means they were just being out competed and maybe they have been here for awhile. Next year will be interesting in many ways!

Brian - I agree, nothing good is on the horizon with those changes, I did a few posts as well on increases in costs, it won't be pretty

Keith - It is a telling stat, but I think it follows closely with the wide, cheap availability of high speed internet, computers and easier to sue websites

Scott - Absolutely, thanks for reading!

Diane - You're welcome, I'm glad it helped!

Michael - Gen X is here to stay, they want it easy and they want it now. Keep up or give up couldn't be truer!

Paul - That stat is amazing, pretty handy in knowing our target audience when marketing!

Margaret - You're welcome, I would encourage you to get a copy ASAP!

Lisa - Thanks for reading, I know you like the numbers too, everyone should check out your blog for local stats! http://activerain.com/blogs/lancasterbylisa

Gary - So true, those who can't keep up will be left behind!

David - Thanks for reading, I hope the stats help you in your business!

Deena - Thank you, I hope it helps you as well!

Jill - It's 2009 and you shouldn't have to remind people about pics, I don't envy your job!

Monique - No one was more surprised than me, but I'm glad you picked it, that may have sent me over the top into the feature!

Thank you everyone for reading and commenting, I appreciate your time! Thank you very much to Bob Stewart for the feature, it was a pleasant surprise!

Bob is full of helpful info, I hope you are all reading his blog too!

http://activerain.com/blogs/arbob

Hi Jason,

Thanks for writing this up. I've gotten as far as downloading the report and saving it to disk--where it's sitting, waiting for me to make time. You've inspired me to get it out and read more.

These are great stats. Thank you for putting them together. I'm curious, where did the other 25% find their homes?

DEC

2009

Jason,

Just so you know, this Profile is available as a free PDF for members of NAR through our "Right Tools, Right Now" program. You can download the PDF here: http://www.realtor.org/prodser.nsf/RightTools/ResearchTools?OpenDocument. You'll also find a lot of other free Research products available at that link - I hope this is helpful!

Well done, Jason and congrats on getting featured. As an industry, we need to better understand our customer. Every year this report illustrates how buyers especially continue to use the Internet to not only search for but find properties. Last year it was 87% using the Internet and 32% found the home they purchased online. Those numbers continue to go up, showing us all how we need to embrace technology if we're going to be successful with any of the 78 million Gen X and Gen Y buyers and sellers.

Lottie - Thanks for reading, there is lots of great info in there besides this, so read on!

Christine - The other 25% were from various sources such as builders, auctions, FSBO, bought from a someone they knew, etc.

NAR Research - Thank you, it is helpful for everyone, I read your research reports, on most anything, whenever you release them!

Dan - Absolutetly and if the fact that there are 78 million of of us doesn't convince everyone to get on board with connecting to Gen XY, then I don't know what will!

I always read these things and like to follow the national trends and see how they work in my area. 83% are under the ago of 44 and 63% of all buyers had no children under the age of 18 residing at home is striking and very telling.

Bev and Bob - me too, it's always interesting to relate them back to the market. The lack of kids at home tells me that we need to be thinking long and hard about how we market home, in the past size/bedrooms was a key factor, btu I wonder if it is anymore?

Jason

Thanks for the post. It is very informative. I agree that the average age of our consumer is critical and we need to market accordingly.

Jason, thanks for the summary report. I can't believe that NAR makes us pay for that survey, but that's for another post entirely. I think the report tells you exactly where you should be focusing your marketing right? Under 44 years old, which would mean internet based marketing. Just over 1/3 have little money to put down, some dings in the credit or just don't want any lender hassles so they've gone FHA. I would say that total is up BTW. Buyers stayed within 10 miles of where they currently are - interesting.

Anna - Thanks for reading, I think it's all about identifying with our consumer, we can't effectively sell to them without knowing who they are!

Lyn - Actually, I didn't point it out but some of the commentors did, NAR offers it as a free download, no cost! I agree, online and local ads work best, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out next year if the folks who are trying to reaise the FHA downpayment requirements get their way

Wow... great post - thanks to you and AR for featuring this post and for helping the rest of us stay up on what's going on. I'm wondering how much the foreclosure/credit issues going on are affecting the percentage of first time homebuyers in those stats. By that I mean that anyone that is a first time homebuyer didn't own a home before... therefore doesn't have a foreclosure on their record so they are in a better position with credit than many...

One thing I noted is: even with these stats, after searching randomly for commenter's websites, I didn't find any great websites. It's sad that we aren't putting a little more into our online presences.

#1 - an IDX with a map search - featured. Even those that know an area prefer a map-based home search.

#2 Sites with tons of text and links and $#%&#& on the homepage. Don't try to play the search engine game cheaply. Google is smarter than we are so make your homepage useful. When a prospect lands there (and most of you only have two prospects), use the homepage to make a good impression and direct them where they want to go (like a lobby in an office - it has nice furniture, marble floors, etc. and a receptionist that asks - How can I help you?). You should use your homepage to identify whether they are a BUYER or SELLER and give them a few basic choices... A> HOME SEARCH (both want to search the MLS - a buyer for a home and a seller because they will be a buyer and because they want to see what homes like theirs are listed for), B> BUYER INFORMATION, C>SELLER INFORMATION D> CONTACT INFORMATION E> LINK TO TIE TO YOU PERMANENTLY (either RSS'ing your blog or connecting with you on social media)

THAT'S IT!! No need to babble on the home page. Once a buyer clicks on buyer info, for example, THEN you can expand on THAT subject. (you can tease them on the homepage with a few words about the benefits of what they will be clicking to). So, go back and touch up your web presence... and I agree completely with Peter Fyler... good pictures are essential. They will come in handy for you in at least 3 different ways - Use in marketing the home (which means flyers (>180DPI needed), websites (>93DPI), MLS (>93DPI), print ads (up to 300DPI), Use for sellers (some agents even give a gift of a nice photo of their previous home with contact info on it as a gift to sellers) and Use for testimonials in the future... so spend a little extra time or $$ and take good quality photographs.

Jack - Thanks for reading, it will be interesting to see how those foreclosures impact, I think they will a force to be reckoned with in some parts of the country

Thanks Jason for highlighting the best of the report. Now to block some time for the rest...

John - Absolutely, I would read it all!

Especially in Las Vegas where the foreclosures have impacted everyone!

DEC

2009

Jack - yes, it would be tough in Vegas. Fortunately, we don't have a big issue in my market area, pretty stable economically here

DEC

2009

Thanks for those stats. I remember a few years ago when I started staging training it was 79% of prospective buyers use the internet. You can see how much more important it is now to STAGE A HOME!!! About the photographs on the MLS - a seller's realtor came and took photos before I had done the staging and would not come back to take new photos for the listing after it was staged. Hmm who is that realtor working for and what was he thinking!

Dana - it is amazing how obstinate some people can be, it is so easy to change pictures anytime you'd like! Thanks for reading!

DEC

2009

thanks for taking the time to repost that informaiton from NAR to AR

Dana - thanks for reading!

JAN

2010

Thanks for sharing that useful information Jason. It pretty much confirms what I thought anyways.

MAR

2010

Stats are way off from the NW.

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Jason Burkholder, Sales Manager Assoc. Broker, Realtor, e-Pro

Lancaster, PA

More about me…

Weichert, Realtors - Engle and Hambright

Address: 1810 Oregon Pike, Lancaster, Pa , 17601

Office Phone: (717) 291-1041

Cell Phone: (717) 371-0557

Email Me

Easily Search Lancaster County PA Homes for Sale at www.JasonsHomes.com using my Easy MLS Home Search Tool! Picture Slideshows, Interactive Maps, Community & School Information, all FREE to you! Just Click the Yellow Button!

Keeping you connected to life and real estate in Lancaster County Pa, for more visit www.TheLancasterConnection.com!

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