How to leverage the Most Important Stats from 2016

Taking the time to review the latest statistics regarding the behavior of your clients, could help you tap into opportunities to improve your marketing efforts. Here are six of the most compelling statistics collected from the “NAR 2016 Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers” and tips to leverage them to find new clients.

17% of recent buyers contacted a real estate agent as the first step in the buying process while 44% started by looking online for properties for sale.

Interestingly, the people who contacted an agent first is up from last year's 14%. It's still important to post virtual tours on the most popular social media and real estate portal sites as an easy lead generation tool. Buyers will find listings more easily and you will be the first agent buyers contact. Keep in mind that almost 7 in 10 buyers spoke to only one agent before hiring them. Virtual tours with excellent exposure make it easier for you to be the first with more buyers.

Websites were seen as a very useful information source at 86%.

Secure a designated domain name for your clients’ listings to leverage buyer searches. Virtual tours will help you catch the attention of 44% of home buyers who found their homes online in 2016! Make sure your website offers useful information about the buying or selling process and post information on your social media sites as well, even if it is just sharing a link to an interesting or informative blog or news article.

Among buyers who used the Internet during their home search, 89% found photos useful.

Hire a professional real estate photographer to provide stunning images to influence buyers’ decisions. They will capture the most flattering perspective to showcase properties in the best possible light.

85% found detailed information about properties for sale very useful.

Make sure you provide complete property listing details, images, floor plans, walkability, and more when preparing your virtual tours. This will make it easier for buyers to find the instant information they desire without having to search further or deeper. This will make it easier for them to decide if they want to see a home or not which in turn makes it easier for you to set up a viewing.

52% of buyers said that they frequently used a mobile or tablet application to look for homes online. This is up 11% from last year.

Make sure you are using a virtual tour program that detects which mobile device a viewer is using so they can view them in the appropriate format. This way your tours will always look great and won’t cause frustration for people on the go.

79% percent of recent buyers found their real estate agent to be a very useful information source and 42% of buyers used an agent that was referred to them by a friend, neighbor, or relative.

Again, it might be a surprise to know that there was a slight rise in buyers who found their agents useful with so much hype about online research being the go to. Show off your expertise with readily available information to assist your clients through the buying and selling process. When you are in contact with a potential client, be proactive and send them information to assist them. Newsletters are an excellent way to share information. They can also generate referrals and repeat business as they help you to remain top of mind. A monthly, bimonthly or even seasonal newsletter is a great way to keep in touch. Newsletters can also be forwarded to friends and family for some additional exposure.

Realtour’s real estate marketing suite provides you with the tools you need to reach today’s buyers and sellers. Setting up an account is free and you will have access to affordable virtual tours, professional real estate photographers and real estate newsletters. Virtual tours have all the features that will meet the needs of today’s buyer including mobile friendly views and plenty of opportunity to add all the details about your listings. Newsletters cover all the topics you need to keep in touch and remain a resource clients will trust.