Searching for Real Estate Online

February 2015 Cover

January is already behind us in this new year! It’s been a very active month in the Orlando real estate market.  This is seasonally expected.  Everyone was busy with the holidays in November and December.  In central Florida we do not get much of a snow-bird influx like our coastal cities.  So it has been relatively quiet.  Now the holiday season is behind us, Sellers are calling for consultations for selling their homes, and Buyers are calling to start their home shopping.  In Orlando, this activity starts in January, and will continue to build momentum through the Spring and into the Summer peak season.

Now having said that, what has gradually changed over the recent years, is that people do tend to start looking earlier, and watch the market for a longer period of time.  I believe this is a natural phenomenon resulting from the wide availability of information of homes for sale on the internet.  People can browse real estate online in the comfort of their homes, as well as gather information long before it’s time to start making appointments to view homes in person.

The result is that we get inquiries on listings in any month, any season.  Listings in December went under contract just like listings in peak summer season.  We are able to fully market and create exposure for listings regardless of the season and market.  My consultation focuses on the overall market trend (trending up, down, and sideways) rather than specific timing of a particular month.  The listing timing is based on Seller’s personal and family situation and moving plan, rather than market timing.

For Buyers, more information is at their finger tips than ever before.  The market place is flooded with information of mixed quality from dubious sources.  Some are useful, others can be flat out erroneous.  We frequently look up properties our clients inquire from third-party websites and find them not for sale, already sold, or have misleading valuation recommendations!  We also find our own listings on websites with wrong information but we have no control over.

For the most accurate MLS search, start with our search engine on the home page.  We typically take the team approach with our Buyer clients and evaluate properties together.

What can we provide for our clients as Buyer’s Agents when “everything” is on the internet?

The internet is a wonderful source of BULK information.  Our expertise is in deciphering that, separating the fluff from the reality.  We are your partners in knowing the local market, the trends, quality of specific products, advantageous mortgage financing, supervising the appropriate inspections, facilitating the closing, and in every other matter being the professional eyes and ears in the real estate world.

So far 2014 looks very promising with regard to local economy and health of the housing market. I will be reporting to you significant trends over the course of the year.  Stay tuned!

Hope this is helpful to you, if you like to keep an eye on real estate related matters.

Okay!  We will stop right here.  As always, if you have any real estate related questions, give us a call! We are happy to discuss real estate even when it’s not business. And, we love referrals!

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