Are Internet Users Smarter Than You?

More home buyers and sellers are accessing the information you used to provide them.

They are finding out more about listings and researching the details before meeting with you.

How does that affect you and your real estate business?

Well, here's some more facts from a recent Harris Interactive Research -12/09 survey:

• Most time online - those aged 30-39 (18 hours) and those aged 25-29 (17 hours) and 40-49 (17 hours).
  
• Adult Internet users now spend an average of 13 hours a week online, up +86% from 7 hours per week in 1999.
  
• The number of adults online at home has increased to 76% this year compared to 66% in 2005.
  

I once heard the phrase "the Internet Empowered Consumer" meaning that there was a small group of people, who accessed the Internet for information. That's no longer the case.

Everybody has access to the Internet in one form or another and they usually know how to find what they're looking.

Home buyers and sellers are more educated than ever and if you don't do your homework before meeting with them, they'll leave you in the dust and find another agent.

You can't afford to not know at least everything a buyer or seller has the ability to learn on the Internet...i.e. county auditor values, last sale dates and sale prices, etc.

If you don't know what they know, you've lost a client. In their mind they're thinking "Why do I need you when I know this stuff and you don't?"

The problem is they don't always know how to decipher the information or they don't have the complete picture that pertains to their situation.

There is a ton of information online and offline to know and the average consumer only buys or sells 3 or 4 homes in their lifetime.

They are not the experts...you are! Right?

I'm in my 25th year as a Realtor and I find that I need to continuously educate myself even more today than ever before.

There are a lot of complexities and emotions involved in the sale of real estate and it's our role to serve and protect our clients.

So set up a routine of getting the data needed before meeting with potential clients and show them you know your stuff!

The cost of losing even one motivated and qualified client and their future referrals can be enormous to your bottom line!

To your success,

Dan

P.S. Are you on ActiveRain? If not, you need to be...it's an unbelievable, free source of real estate training, knowledge and possible referrals. Even if you don't blog, sign up today and discover the wealth of information that's there.