It's Time to Up Your Game. Are You Ready?

William Gibson once said, "The future is already here — it's just not very evenly distributed."

I can't help but think of that quote when I look at statistics on real estate marketing – particularly what buyers and sellers want and how many real estate professionals are able or willing to meet that demand. Home buyers and sellers are consumers. They, like all consumers, want accurate information immediately, in ways convenient and flexible to their ever-changing needs.

Did you know that, according to NAR:

• 92% of homebuyers use the Internet as an information source
• 73% of homeowners say they're more likely to list with a realtor who offers video
• Only 4% of agents actually offer video as part of their marketing package to home sellers
• 75% of Internet homebuyers drove by or viewed a home they saw online
• 43% of buyers first found their home on the Internet
• 56% of home buyer prospects expect to be contacted within 30 minutes of expressing interest in a property

According to Forrester Research it is 50 times easier to achieve a page one ranking on Google with a video. And NPD tells us that mobile and tablet shoppers are three times as likely to view a video as laptop or desktop users.

If your response to this is "So what?" you have got to get with the program! Mobile is here. Which means your website better have responsive design. Your clients—homebuyers and home sellers—want you to respond to their needs FAST. Meeting that demand requires an investment in technology, like smart lead capture. And video simply must be part of your real estate marketing offering.

I'm reminded of another quote, this one from Albert Einstein: "If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got."

It's time to up your game. Are you ready?

To view the original article, visit the Properties Online blog.