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Douglas Trudeau , Assoc. Broker
Prudential Foothills Real Estate
64 N. Harrison Road, Suite 160
Tucson , AZ 85748
Mobile: 520-954-2209
Contact Me

Home Searching On The Internet

Internet Real Estate Buying Anyone you talk to will tell you that a vast majority of home buyers start searching for a home on the Internet. In today’s world of technology the “Duh” factor comes into play when it comes to buying and buying smart. Estimates are as high as 80% of home buyers begin their search on the Internet. Personally, I believe it is more.

Lets see, I need an air filter for my truck. At $3.51 a gallon do I really want to drive five miles to find out they don’t have any? So I jump on the Internet check the local store and yes they supply what I need. Their phone number is there for the local store, called, they have two left. Now I can go buy.

I needed a wireless connection for my printer. Checked at the store while out doing other things, $99. Checked on EBay through the Internet, and got it for $47.99 plus $5.00 shipping. Works great. Would have spent more on gas than the shipping.

Need to renew prescriptions? Go to the Internet. Need to shop for a car? Internet. Need the latest news? Internet. After all, aren’t you reading this right now on the Internet? So, why should real estate be any different?

No wonder so many home buyers of all ages are looking for a house on the Internet. There are pictures, maps, comparisons. Careful about the comparisons, they can be misleading. There is information about neighborhoods, schools, nearly everything. It has gotten to the point that rarely do I have a client who cannot/does not access information on the Internet. A large majority of the clients I work with find me on the Internet. I Google myself sometimes to see what others see.

If you can’t sleep, jump on the computer, find some houses and email your Realtor who is 2, 3 or 10 hours different than you. When you come back to your computer hours later, there’s your response.

Some Buyers like to do their own research. Why not, its there. Some Buyers like to use a Realtor to help them with their search. All Realtors want Buyers to go through them. This is where there is difference of opinion by Realtors and Buyers. Lets look at it.

As a Home Buyer you want to have control. After all its your money you’re spending. There are MLS searches, third party company searches; Craig’s List, Postlet, Zillow, Homegain, Realtor.com and Trulia to name a few. There are Realtors who have web sites with search capability. So what are the advantages and disadvantages?

To each their own. Some people have had a bad experience with a Realtor and don’t trust them. Some people have had a bad experience without a Realtor and will never buy or sell a home without one. I like both kinds of people. In either case, most will use technology to their advantage. There are pros and cons with personal searching. The pros are simple, easy access any time you want; when you are ready.

The cons are numerous. First, is the information you are looking at accurate. Example is the TAR/MLS allows the public access. All Active homes are viewable. The problem is there are three categories in TAR/MLS. Active, which are available homes without an offer. Active Contingent, homes that have an offer, but, are going through inspections or other processes. Then there are Active Capa, homes that have an accepted offer with a condition to the purchase; i.e., the buyer has to sell their home first or some other condition. The problem with Active Contingent and Active Capa, I have seen buyers fall in love with a home that they will never have the opportunity to buy. However, since the word “Active” is part of the status definition they get fixated on that home. Third party searches are no different.

With a Realtor, searches can be narrowed down to strictly Active homes to eliminate the problem. Now lets move on to other advantages of using a Realtor. Lets see some comparisons.

Desired Feature	Without A Realtor	With A Realtor
Min # of Bedrooms	X	X
Min # of Bathrooms	X	X
Min/Max Price	X	X
Min/Max Square Feet	X	X
Min/Max Yard Size	X	X
Subdivision	X	X
Zip Code	X	X
School District	X	X
With/Without Pool		X
With/Without Fireplace		X
Garage Space		X
Gated Community		X
On Golf Course		X
Paved Road		X
Air Conditioned		X
Sewer Not Septic		X
Min/Max Stories		X
No/Max HOA		X
True Status		X

There are more criteria that can be selected by a Realtor, this just gives you an idea. A Realtor can fine tune the search to get closer to what the Buyer’s needs are. Eliminating garbage the Buyer would never consider. Another advantage to using a Realtor.

Some third party searches may allow automatic notification, some do not. Public searches on TAR/MLS do not. As a Realtor, I have the ability to set up an automatic search that e-mails clients each time a home is listed within their set criteria. The most common occurrence with clients who search on their own in addition to the automated search is that they will find homes the search does not because they change the criteria. Its not that the system failed, its that the system has to be adjusted. I have had clients whom I have set up as many as 12 different searches to focus on specific subdivisions and other selected criteria for each search.

Comparatively to what the Air Force has accomplished over the years. In WW II and Viet Nam, bombers covered massive areas in hopes of hitting a selected target. Today our planes are equipped with smart bombs and laser guided missiles that can hit a very specific target without touching anything around it. Personal searching is like using a B-52. Using a Realtor is like using an F-22A Raptor.

When it comes to price comparisons, third party and personal comparisons can be grossly misleading. I have seen price comparison from third party suppliers off by tens of thousands of dollars. Creating unrealistic sales prices for Sellers, and unrealistic purchase prices for Buyers.

When buyers do decide to contact a Realtor, they contact the one who has listed the home. Think about it. The Realtor is working for the Seller. If just getting information, OK. If expecting the Realtor to represent you in the purchase, What obligation does s/he have to you as a buyer? Most will be honest. There is a risk here. If you have a Realtor whom you have developed a good rapport, that risk is eliminated. This is where I have picked up numerous buyers. The home did not fully meet their needs. So, I helped them find another home. Combining technology with the assistance of an expert can be a real advantage.

No matter how you chose to use the Internet, home searching has evolved from searching in a book and driving around mile after mile to sitting in your pajamas thousands of miles away with the same advantage as buyers who live close to the homes you are looking at. Personally, I like the technology. It allows me time to search for clients, answer their questions quickly and still have time for my grandson when he comes into may office and insists that its time for, “No work Tata, read book.” So, happy home searching. I hope this makes it easier for you.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 18th, 2008 at 8:07 am and is filed under Tucson Real Estate. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Yes, we at Baja, Mexico have the same pattern… 90% of the buyers do start looking over their next real estate purchase over the internet… but, surprisingly enough, having the old flyer at the property does come in handy. I must say that even though it is an old practice it will steal a buyer more often than not from another property near by.

May 22nd, 2008 // Javier Carrillo

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