Today, we use mobile devices to do everything. We use them to buy movie tickets, find nearby restaurants – and increasingly – we’re using them to shop for homes. According to a recent National Association of Realtors survey, 50 percent of buyers said they used a mobile device to shop for their home in the last year.
Traditional marketing methods like yard signs and open houses are attracting a smaller pool of buyers. Just 9 percent of respondents said they found their home this way. Instead, the survey highlighted the importance the Internet and mobile devices play in selling a home.
For instance, 43 percent of buyers browse online listings as their first-step in buying a home, and that’s even more accurate for younger buyers. Sixty-five percent of buyers aged 25-44 years old use a mobile device in their home search, compared to just 45 percent who attended open houses.
What Does Mobile Mean for Sellers?
There are dozens of real estate listings apps from sites like Redfin, Trulia, Zillow and the Chinese portal Juwai.com the list continues to grow. They’ve made it easier than ever to search for homes by price, location, lot size, etc. Today, your listing is at the fingertips of millions – if it’s marketed correctly.
Effective mobile and Internet listings are much like “digital yard signs.” Buyers want to see photos, detailed property information, neighborhood data and virtual/interactive tours. Today, a thorough mobile listing is as effective as a well-attended open house. Equally as important, your listing needs to appear in the right online channels.
At Urban Focus Real Estate, we understand the importance of digital marketing for selling your home. Our agents are skilled at helping sellers position their “digital yard signs” to maximize reach to potential buyers. Don’t miss out on all those potential buyers searching on a mobile device.