More Buyers Turn to Social Media in Home Buying Process

The 2014 Survey of California Home Buyers by the California Association of Realtors reveals that 91 percent of buyers used a mobile device during the search process — with 78 percent using them to look for comparable prices, 45 percent to search for properties, and 43 percent to take photos. “No other form of communication puts us in constant contact with one another,” says Silicon Valley Association of Realtors President David Tonna, adding that most clients expect instant responses from agents and prefer e-mails and texts. Ninety-four percent of Realtors communicate with clients via mobile devices, reports the National Association of Realtors, and they spent a median 44 percent of their time working for or corresponding with clients on these devices. The survey shows a jump in the percentage of buyers using social media during their home search to more than 75 percent from 52 percent in 2011, and looking up agents’ Facebook pages is more popular these days than Googling them. | Read More