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Mobile technology used more in real estate

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The home buying process and the business of real estate have come a long way with the advance in technology. These days, more consumers and Realtors are using mobile devices to gather information and transact business.

"It is amazing how far we've gone in just the last five years," remarks Carolyn Miller, president of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS®. "The smartphone has become an essential part of our lives - in keeping in touch with our clients, other agents, and family members. Lately, tablets, which now have many apps for Realtors, have been very useful and are becoming a seamless way to transact business."

Miller, who is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX Real Estate Services, says the local REALTOR® association provides members purchase contracts and other real estate-related forms online free of charge. Tablet applications enable users to fill out forms, prep them for signing and have the documents signed on their tablet, right then and there.

"If you're a REALTOS® in Silicon Valley, you need to be tech savvy and on top of the latest technology gadgets," Keith Walker, a REALTOR® with Intero Real Estate Services, told agents at a local REALTOR® meeting that focused on mobile technology.

REALTORS® are becoming more tech savvy in their business. Andy Tse, also from Intero Real Estate Services, says he has had good results with online marketing.

Tse stresses the importance of a good website. He likens an agent's website to a "glorified business card," noting it is one of the first places prospective clients will visit to learn more about an agent.

Mobile technology is present in nearly every facet of the consumer's life. According to the latest home buyer survey by the California Association of REALTORS®, more than eight out of 10 home buyers access home information on their smart phones and computer tablets.

The 2013 Survey of California Home Buyers found 85 percent of buyers used a mobile device during the home buying process, with 70 percent of buyers accessing the Internet from their smart phones and 15 percent accessing it from their tablets. While 62 percent of buyers found their home through an agent, the percentage who found their home online more than doubled from 16 percent in 2012 to a record high of 37 percent in 2013.

The use of social media as a form of communication is expected to grow, as well. Agents say they use social media to cultivate relationships and keep in touch with clients. Buyers primarily used social media for buying tips and suggestions from friends, 43 percent; neighborhood information, 42 percent; and to view their agents' Facebook pages, 41 percent. Ninety-one percent of buyers say they are receptive to receiving information about the home buying process from their agent via social media.
 
While agents see the importance of maintaining an Internet presence and utilizing mobile technology to respond quickly to clients, they stress nothing is better than a personal relationship.

In another discussion about the topic, Dana Rogers, a REALTOR® with Alain Pinel Realtors, commented, "We are in a service business. You need to interact with people."

The importance of the REALTOR® is not lost in this age of technology, adds Miller. In fact, Miller says the real estate professional is even more important today.

 "It's a more complicated market out there and more than the gatherer and provider of information, a REALTOR® is able to provide consumers with a deep analysis of the data, insights to a home and neighborhood, and negotiate and guide them through the home buying process, so all flows smoothly for all parties involved in a transaction," says Miller.


The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.

For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, email , or phone (408) 200-0109.

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