"How Home Buyers Use Technology" by Mark K. Hicks

How Home Buyers Use Technology by Mark K. Hicks When searching for a real estate agent, make sure he or she is tech savvy. You are. The point person in your quest for your dream home should be packing the latest technology too. Check the stats compiled by MountainSeed Appraisal Management in Atlanta, GA. •A vast majority, 90 percent of home buyers use the internet to kick off their search for housing. •Home buyers today are mobile. They aren’t just sitting at a desk, online looking for a home. Mobile applications are also a weapon of choice. •Nearly 30 percent are smart phone home shopping while waiting in line; 27 percent are searching over dinner and 26 percent are guests at someone’s home and likely just bored stiff. •On average a person conducts 11 digital searches before making another move, like calling in an agent, attending an open house or otherwise 3-Ding their search. •Agents in certain states have a greater need to get with the digital thing. The states with the highest number of online queries for first time home buyers are Delaware (The First State is first); Louisiana (it can get pretty muggy traipsing around); Mississippi (ditto); South Dakota (there’s just too much to walk around); and Wyoming (ditto). "I think it is important to note that not only are home buyers using technology more than ever, but also home owners. When possible, many are looking at refi rates, paying their mortgage payment by smart phone, or simply perusing their mortgage statement," said David Craig, vice president of sales at CEDAR Document Technologies an Atlanta, GA-based communications technology company. Craig added, "it is also important to note that ‘mobile’ doesn’t necessarily mean a borrower is on the move. Many people today opt for their (smart) phone while sitting at home before ever opening a laptop or using a desktop computer.”