Marketing Shift

Virtual tours, polished video tours and print advertising are taking their places in the history books of real estate marketing. Generation X and Y’s are a completely different breed of real estate consumer and their needs and methods of doing business are completely different than the needs of baby boomers. Text messaging, email and reality type video tours are what home shoppers look at when perusing the internet for a potential real estate purchase.

Today’s real estate agents have become consultants, guiding clients through the process and providing information every step of the way. In some cases, the realtor may meet a client once and the rest is done via email and texting. You will be hard pressed to hear a Gen y’r on the telephone with his/her realtor. You will however, see them texting messages, demanding answers to questions regarding specific properties they found on the internet. The requirement is that the realtor be available for constant communication via text or email. Instant gratification is a must in commerce today and answering a client’s question in a timely manner is key.

The changing face of real estate sales is evolving more so today than ever before. Agent websites and blogging are the new medium for advertising and promoting properties. Properties that are advertised in print media are all but invisible to the next generation of home buyer. With advances in technology constantly changing, it will be interesting to see what methods realtors use to sell listings in just a few short years.