Anyone who has ever bought a home – or
even shopped for one – won’t be shocked by a recent survey of homebuyers by The
Real Estate Book. Fifty percent considered mobile tools to be an essential part
of their home search. And of those:
·
98%
percent thought their mobile device was a valuable tool
·
78%
viewed photos and videos of homes on their device
·
68%
sought out a listing agent based on their mobile search
Given that
more half the buyers out there are using technology to do their shopping, a
tech-savvy agent will have a much better chance of selling your home quickly
and for the price you want.
So how do you
shop for a tech-savvy agent? Think like a buyer.
That means
look at how a prospective listing agent is using technology to marketing
properties like yours. Think like a buyer and experiment with common
technologies and web tools to make sure your property will be universally searchable, presentable and viewable.
Is it searchable?
Find a similar
property listed by your prospective agent and test it out. (If you can’t find a
similar property, chances are the agent is wrong for you.) Do Google searches.
In fact, do searches using all search engines and see where the agent’s website
comes up? Visit the property and, based on what you see from the street, see
how difficult it is to access additional information on your smartphone and
tablet.
Is it presentable?
Once you find
additional information, does the prospective agent’s use of technology properly
market the property? Are images presented in a tasteful, user-friendly way? Are
video tours available? Are they professional? For higher-end properties, are
aerial video and photography used? Our agency has even used video shot from
remote-control drones as part of our marketing videos.
It is viewable?
Make sure all
the bells and whistles available on the listing agent’s website can be accessed
using all mobile tools. Our agency has converted our site to HTML 5, which
ensures all images and videos and other information is easily viewed on tablets,
smartphones, PCs or any other device without installing special software. In
other words, you can see the same easy-to-navigate site on any device quickly
and easily,
These
criteria are, of course, just one small piece of selecting the right agent. You
will also need someone who knows the market and your neighborhood, and has a
history of selling homes quickly and achieving the sellers’ asking price.
But when it
comes to finding a tech-savvy agent to sell your home, you must think like a
buyer.