Home Buyers Beware! Is Your Buyer's Agent a Dinosaur? Top 10 Signs!
/In the last few years, many boutique real estate company start-ups have been launched in order to cater to the tech-savvy home buyers and sellers. These dynamic entrepreneurs are trying to completely integrate the Internet and all electronic technology currently available into the home buying process. At the Buyer’s Edge, we think that this is an excellent trend. It is exciting and important to see these young professionals start up new real estate firms that are catering to the tech-savvy real estate investors.
When the Buyer’s Edge launched our business in 1992, we were the first real estate company to work for the home buyers exclusively in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. After 26 years and $1 billion home purchases under our belts, it's hard to believe that at the time the concept of working as a Buyer’s Agent, let alone an Exclusive Buyer’s Agent, was ridiculed by the old school real estate companies. Fortunately, the uncertainty of being in the forefront of a new consumer-oriented movement in the residential real estate industry did not deter us from our mission. It is amusing to think that back then, we were so “tech-savvy” that our company was able to secure the domain name BuyersAgent.com for our website! In 1992, our first website rendition cost $50,000 to create. Over the years with changes to Google algorithms and changes in the ways home buyers use the Internet and all forms of technology in their home buying process, we have had to modify and upgrade our website numerous times to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
New kids on the block create an exciting buzz in the business that should invigorate and remind all real estate professionals how important it is to stay current and change with the times. The consumer is hungry for knowledge as evident with the rise in the popularity of sites like Zillow, and Trulia. Home Buyers constantly peruse popular real estate blogs in the DC area. They include: dc.curbed.com, dc.urbanturf.com, and buyersagent.com/blog. Prior to even contacting a Realtor, many home and condo buyers also research communities and DC condo buildings online. The use of technology is just one of the many positive ways to help home buyers purchase homes and condominiums. The process also should include a consumer-oriented approach to help educate, protect and negotiate the best deal for the client. The ability for experienced real estate agents to stay energized and tech-savvy is crucial whether an Exclusive Buyer’s Agent is working with a first time home buyer or a seasoned veteran home buyer.
