Homebuyers turn to Web for research, Technology provides tools to find dream home

MILWAUKEE, WI - August 17 2008 - Around-the- clock Internet access, and a wealth of information online, quickens the pace at which consumers decide to buy — whether it’s a handbag, vacation or a house.

Househunters and their realty agents who use online tools strategically are a step ahead of the game. Listings can now sparkle, dazzle and convince. A deal can swim through faster than the old days of faxed listings, with the potential buyer having little more than a piece of paper in hand before the first showing.

When Jessica Marshall and her husband began shopping for their first home in March, she spent many hours in front of the computer. Because of her online sleuthing, they only looked at about five houses before making an offer this month.

Their research plan pivoted on assessing crime statistics and zooming in on each block via online database and mapping tools.

The couple also used Google’s street-level mapping option at maps.google.com. Like other online mapping tools, an address is pinpointed on a map. But Google takes it one step further by providing a photo taken from the curb. Real estate agents are scrambling to keep up with clients who use Web tools incisively to research houses and make decisions, even before they set foot in a house.

Joan Sliker, a broker with Cream City Real Estate Co. in Milwaukee, says she is increasingly relying on Web tools as another outlet for the homes she tries to sell. The company has a custom-designed Web site with detailed, large photos of each home’s interiors, which “really gives you a good feel for the house before you get into it,” she says.

“You’ve got to keep up with how people use technology, such as cell phones and personal digital devices, such as BlackBerrys, so they can react with whatever information you have,” Sliker says.

In February, Cream City Real Estate added a personal-digital-device section on its site that works well for tech-savvy buyers who happen upon a house while out driving. The buyer can log onto the Web site — which is posted on the company’s yard signs — from their handheld devices and download information without having to wait for a call back from the agent.

Agents, lenders and other providers in the constellation of real estate services are finding each other through social networking sites like MyDealBook.com, a free Facebook-type site designed for brokers and others linked to the real estate industry. “We try to facilitate those relationships so the industry runs more smoothly and deals get done more quickly,” explains founder Ryan Slack. For example, a landscape architect enrolled with the site can learn about deals through member brokers. Connecting with homeowners in need of lawns or new yard designs cuts down on marketing time.

In MyDealBook’s first month, 330,000 memberships became active.

Agents and service providers say that they’re running hard just to keep up with high-tech tools wielded by customers.

“We’re not just selling us. We’re trying to market houses,” Sliker says. “We’ve got to be on the cutting edge of technology. You have to have a solid Internet presence.

“Most of the people are shopping online today.”

Homebuyers turn to Web for research
by Kristine Hansen | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel