Real Estate Is Changing

Terri, I think change is good. Consumers come ready and armed to start looking at properties. The Internet seems to make everyone an expert in real estate. This makes our job harder because we sometimes have to re-educate the public. Between the media and various sites out there, we have a lot of work to do.

Terri, This is some good Info for all,keep up the good work,and good luck in 2012,  E

I'm with you, Terri.  Normally, when I finally meet up with one of these buyers or sellers they are ready to make a move of one sort or the other.  I've even had them call me to ask me to drop by and fill out a contract for a house they want to buy.  I love it.

Teri, I agree that it is a good thing that they have done their due diligence - it is definitely a sign of a more serious buyer. The only thing I will say is that once they come to me I end up spending a lot of time sorting through all the great infomation they have found because a lot of the information( real estate-wise(things that are already under contract, short sales that you can't tell in the system, etc), not schools, crime, etc - that's up to them to take from that what they will) doesn't really tell the story.

I don't mind people becoming informed about anything...but at some point, we have to fine tune it and make it into a result. Enter the professional Real Estate agent...good post and thank you

The wake up call for all Realtors. . when your clients can learn all about the specific places they want to buy and they know more than you do!

Terri- Congrats on your feature! I think it's great that consumers can find some much info online, the challenge comes when they are reading and believing false info (i.e. Zillow). That's where the local expert Realtors job is so important.

Knowing how our buyer's are coming to us and with what information they are relying on to make a decision is extremely important to know.  Being internt savvy is the first step, then going out and seeing the homes and how they fit into an area is always crucial.

~ This  awesome post and true responses from all is one of  the reasons AR is the best National Real Estate Website. The true experiences and responses from professional wanting to help the Real Estate System and consumers is what closes the gap making AR untouchable.

The truth is huge and not over rated. I really appreciate what Amanda states. Amanda shows bravery and sincerity as she mentions what most understand to be true. When there is a force that's tainting a general idea Realtors aren't dolling-out truthful information the force takes the whole industry. If we can find a way to rid National Real Estate from deception, we would have a better relationship with consumers. 

Fighting technology is a loosing battle... better to participate than player-hate! ;) But do you think there will come a time that technology enables buyers to search, offer, sign, and buy themselves, without the assistance of an agent? Right now, you can jump online find a property, view it on Street Maps, find the ranking of schools, gauge the crime reports, and get opinions of the area from all types of sources. All that's left is contacting the seller, efaxing/faxing an offer, and moving along the sales process. Will it get to that point where Realtors will simply sit on their computers and process transaction?

FSBO is the real dinosaur in my humble assumption, RE transactions are no joke there's so much that can blow-up, the paperwork is so important! Just because we can buy scissors we don't cut our hair? 

It is rather amazing how quickly our field of work evolves - especially as technology evolves as well. Thanks for this post!

David Liniger, Chairman of RE/MAX said that in order for agents to be successful, they need to easily adapt to constant changes and fully embrace technology. His words can't be more true.

Cheers,

Rich, IXACT Contact

I agree! Real Estate has changed and buyers and sellers are much more educated. Education is always a good thing!

Agreed! I love educated buyers because they have taken a big chunk of the leg-work out. In most cases, they have already narrowed their search and on some level, understand the current market prices/competition.