The Real Deal with Online Search Platforms
Where do we begin…
Your favorite online home search can be a great place to start your home buying journey but relying on it too heavily could be a mistake. Today, over 90% of all home searches start online, and rising home sales are evidence to the effectiveness of online searches as the beginning of the home buying process. Equally important is seeing the truth while you click away at hundreds of homes on your mobile app. While you scroll keep the following things in mind.
Online Search
The sky’s the limit
Keep current.
Many times, when you start your online search you will see many enticing properties that meet your broad search criteria. What you may not realize is that many of the homes that you are seeing are identified with a few different titles. You will see Coming soon, Pending, Off Market, On Market and even Pre-Foreclosure listings. This can be your first step down the wrong path. Often these homes are not on the open market and therefore give you a false impression of what is out there for purchase. Most times Pre-Foreclosure homes never make it to market, Coming Soon properties will hit the market at a different price and Pending homes will not actually be available for you to purchase, as they are currently under contract.
Don’t fall in love with the photos.
Even in intermediate price ranges, the real estate industry has become very good at photography that highlights the best features. Many times it’s what isn’t photographed that makes the difference. That is where an experienced agent can come in handy. Everything from unfinished upgrades, like old baseboards or the evidence of a busy street just behind your fence can be an indication that the home you have fallen in love with online could be being boosted by clever photography. In addition, professional photography can make areas look larger, brighten colors and enhance equity multiplying areas (kitchen, bath and trendy upgrades), making them look newer than they actually are.
“over 90% of all home searches start online”
The dough is in the show!
All the marketing that you see online are designed to get you to want to BUY THAT HOME. Like placing colorful cereal boxes on the lower shelves to get children to reach out and throw that product into the basket, or even social media repeatedly running an ad for the knock-off of a product that you mentioned to a partner at dinner. Do not be fooled. Contact your agent and get out to do showings the right way. If your showings are conducted by a quality professional agent, the information that can be gathered is invaluable and can re-shape everything that you thought you were looking for in your next home. It can be very simple, Step 1: Get a pre-qual letter, 2: Take notes during showings and 3: Require that your agent breaks down cost of potential upgrades, price in comparisons to other listings in the area and start constructing a potential offer prior to leaving the home. Now, get out there and find your next home because it is exceedingly rare that your online search will drop it in your lap!
