The Official HomeRoute Blog

Real estate agents vs. the world

An alternative headline might be real estate agents vs. themselves and vs. the Internet. There has been a lot of talk lately about how the evolving online real estate landscape and changes in the housing market are going to be the downfall of real estate agents.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch talks about what qualities an agent needs in order to succeed in the business, in addition to having another source of income when starting.

I especially like this quote from an agent who tells others to keep trying: "We're just out there, like moving targets at the State Fair," she said. "I get shot down, then pop up and here I come again."

A similar story recently ran in The Arizona Republic. Phoenix was one of the hottest markets, and new real estate agents were popping up like dandelions. Now, the market is starting to cool and some are taking on additional jobs for income.

And if the doom and gloom of starting and sustaining a real estate business isn’t enough, others are speculating on the demise of agents altogether.

This writer from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders if real estate agents will become more obsolete, like travel agents have.

I would argue that travel agents aren’t completely obsolete. I do make my airline and hotel reservations online, but if I have a complicated travel schedule with multiple flights and/or cities, I’m still going to call a travel agent, who’ll be able to put those things together and save me time.

In the same vein, people will still need real estate agents. They might be able to look at homes online, but they’ll need an agent to show them the home, help determine the best price during negotiations and work out any complications in the transaction, all the while saving the homebuyer something precious: time.

USA Today and the San Francisco Chronicle both have articles on how homebuyers and sellers are bypassing agents and using websites for help.

So what do all of these things mean for the average real estate agent? What was good offline is also good online. You need to work hard, you need to be persistent and you need to follow up. And it will mean the downfall to those who don’t.

-- Tonja Deegan

Real estate agent gains business through lead referrals

Working Internet leads doesn’t always mean a sale, but it can make a good referral business. Just ask Aisha Barber, a REALTOR with Prudential Carruthers in Vienna, Va.

Aisha is the exclusive agent for her area on www.relocate-america.com, HomeRoute’s relocation Web site program. And when a couple of leads came in that were looking in her area and decided to look in another, Aisha didn’t admit defeat. Instead, she told them “I know a fantastic REALTOR there.” And she turned that potential lead loss into a referral opportunity.

“I have another person coming in today who wants to purchase in L.A. and I’m working on a referral there through Relocate-America,” Aisha said.

So her advice to other real estate agents who use Internet leads: never give up! “You just have to make it work for you,” she said. Every lead is an opportunity, and follow-up is key. If the lead doesn’t generate a commission, it could be a referral fee for you!

-- Tonja Deegan

Buyers and sellers are looking, but can they find you?

If you’re a real estate agent and you have a website, why do you keep hearing about this blogging thing? You already have a website, and that’s how people find you.

Not so fast. A study this year by iProspect and Jupiter Research shows that 62 percent of search engine users click on a result from the first page, and 90 percent click on a result from the first three pages.

This is where blogging comes in. In addition to using a blog to show that you’re the expert in your community, a blog also ranks high in search engines. The ease-of-use of a blog, linking to other sites and frequent updating all contribute to being seen quickly in a search engine.

Having an online presence is more important than ever before. And being able to be found quickly and easily online should be a top priority.

Via Realblogging

-- Tonja Deegan

Real estate and the Internet: For better or for worse

The Wall Street Journal has a headline this week that many in the real estate industry are buzzing about: “Google and Craigslist May Weaken Realtors' Hold on Home Listings.”

"The proliferation of real-estate sites comes as brokers are under pressure from several directions. As home sales slow, an increasing number of discount brokers are vying for customers."

Other real estate bloggers have been talking about search sites such as Zillow and Trulia for a few months now. Everyone is wondering how these are going to effect the real estate landscape. Only time will tell if agents embrace or turn their back to these new tools.

But one thing is certain: almost three quarters of home buyers and sellers do some type of research on the Internet before contacting an agent. So the customers already have a relationship with the Internet, and real estate agents should be doing the same.

Dustin Luther at the Rain City Guide blog has some great advice for real estate bloggers: you serve the greatest need when you find your niche.

So it helps to know your business – online and offline.

-- Tonja Deegan