This article was originally posted on DothanHomeSearch.com
The 2007 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from the National Association of REALTORS reveals that 84% of home buyers use the Internet as an information source. What are they looking for? 95% were looking for properties for sale. So it stands to reason that sellers whose home is listed on the right websites will have a better chance of getting it in front of the right buyer.
So what are the best sites for home listings? What sites are buyers using the most? Here is an overview.
REALTOR.com is still the leader with the most listings and the highest number of viewers. If your home is listed in a Multiple Listing Service (MLS), it should show up here automatically.
Trulia and Zillow are two up-and-coming real estate websites challenging REALTOR.com. Trulia’s fortay is the ability to price compare properties using current listings and recently sold properties. Zillow’s is similar, except they estimate the value of all houses, not just recently sold and currently listed. Keep in mind that having your home listed on Trulia and Zillow is not automatic. Check with your agent to make sure they list there.
Where do people that are relocating to an area typically go for real estate information on the Internet? Google and Yahoo are likely the top two choices. Judging from the visitors we get here on this site, the usually search terms are “Dothan real estate”, “Dothan homes for sale”, or something similar. Having your listing show up through an MLS search on these local websites is critical. Folks usually won’t go past the first page of results, so make sure the company you list with comes up at or near the top for these search terms.
This is by not means an exhaustive list. There are plenty of websites out there for real estate listings. The point of this post is that home sellers should agressively question their agent about their Internet marketing strategy. With so many buyers on the Internet, you can't take a chance of missing any of them.
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