NAR Report Emphasizes Agent Must-Haves for Strong Digital Presence

ldquo;The world we live in today is a digital one and searching for a home is no different,rdquo; they said. Buyers now have apps that let them search by location and neighborhoods. Online searching maximizes the ability to compare and contrast homes on the market by selected features. Most of this is done before a potential home buyer connects with a real estate agent. In the Real Estate in a Digital Age report, we examine the process home buyers go through in the initial online search and how REALTORSreg; are connecting with customers in the digital space.rdquo;

Wersquo;re running through some of the most important data points in the NAR report.

Are your properties showing up online?

The wider the net you cast with property listings, the better. Homebuyers search first for properties online a whopping 44 of the time.nbsp;

Social media more important than ever

Whatrsquo;s your Facebook page looking like? Do you even have a business page on the social media site? Have you mastered Instagram or are you still writing it off as unimportant to your target market? You may be surprised. On the report under ldquo;top tech tools that give the highest quality leads,rdquo; social media was the leader by far, at 44. Coming in second was MLS site at 32, followed by the brokeragersquo;s website at 29.

Is your website mobile optimized?

It isnrsquo;t enough to have a great website if it only works on desktop. The majority of buyers today are using their mobile device to search for homes, across all demographics. The NAR Infographic showed that, ldquo;81 of Older Millennials, 80 ofnbsp;Younger Millennials and 78 of Generation Xnbsp;found their home on a mobile device compared to 68 of Younger Boomers.rdquo;nbsp;

nbsp;Photos rule

Itrsquo;s no surprise that buyers want to see pictures of listings, but the percentage of buyers who made this the most valuable feature about online properties in the report was compelling: 87. No. 2 was detailed property information, and No. 3 might be surprising: floorplans. Realtors may have an opportunity to set themselves apart by showing property floorplans along with the other identifying information in online listings.nbsp;

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