Technology has revolutionized the real estate industry, helping home buyers and sellers save time and money. However, despite access to more information than ever before, most consumers still turn to a real estate agent to help them navigate the process and purchase their home. In fact, according to a 2018 Owners.com survey of recent homebuyers, 62 percent did their own home inventory searches online and 83 percent ultimately worked with an agent for the purchase.
“In recent years, the real estate industry has made data and information more readily available to consumers, which in turn has made them more knowledgeable going into the home buying process,” says Daniel Maloney, Head of National Sales at Owners.com. “However, it’s clear that home buyers still value the on-the-ground expertise and guidance that a local real estate agent can provide, particularly in a competitive market where consumers need to move faster than ever to get into a home.”
To meet the needs of today’s home buyer, Owners.com, one of the nation’s leading brokerages, is evolving their process. Owners.com saw the need to create a more personalized home buying experience, both in the technology it offers and through the expertise of their knowledgeable agents. The brokerage continues to create innovative, customer-focused solutions to streamline what can be a complicated process. For example, Owners.com’s unique property preferences-based search tool allows buyers to set their home preferences, and then it ranks property listings based on a “best match” algorithm to make the search easier. Preferences go beyond filters, so users can select their ideal attributes, such as hardwood floors or an open floor plan. Additionally, Owners.com agents now provide a rich property tour report after every showing, ultimately helping their buyers make better sense of their options and more informed decisions.
While today’s home buyer has access to a lot of information, there’s still a need to work with a trusted agent. One of those trusted agents is Jeanie Nixon, a Dallas-based Owners.com real estate agent. Working in a competitive real estate market, Nixon understands how home search technology is democratizing the buying experience. “But with more information comes more questions”, she says.
“The real estate industry has made a lot of data and information readily available to home buyers, so they’re much more informed and know what they want,” Nixon says. “Real estate agents play a valuable role because they can help make sense of the abundance of information online, provide real-time status updates, assist with contracting homes that may have deadlines, and help streamline the process to get buyers into their new home even faster.”
Nixon points out that buying a home is often one of the largest and most emotional transactions consumers will make in their lives, and having the right agent makes this monumental task less daunting.
“Navigating the home buying process can be tricky and stressful. There are many steps in buying a home, and while you can do a lot of work yourself, working with a trusted agent is a given,” she says. “A real estate agent can offer the guidance you need to make the process less stressful. They know the local market, can help answer questions and assist with obstacles that might arise. In fast-moving markets, a blend of data, technology and a professional who has your back is the right blend to help you get into a new home.”
