Real Estate Technology

Virtual Home Staging – A New Way to Sell Homes

April 25, 2022

Last year, we wrote about the importance of home staging when trying to sell your home, what kind of ROI to expect when you hire a professional stager, and more. We’re turning our attention to virtual staging now, a newer way to sell a home that’s quickly growing in popularity. Along the way, we’ll show some real life examples of virtual staging we’ve ordered for our clients (and we always provide this service – if desired and it makes sense for the home – at no extra charge). While there is a bit of controversy in the staging industry about the authenticity of virtual staging, it looks like the trend may be here to stay. Many believe this new way...

Top 10 Real Estate Websites By Traffic, 2022 Report

March 9, 2022

As a top 1% real estate agent in the U.S. with over 2,000 sales in Oregon and Washington, knowing which real estate websites get the most traffic is a huge deal to me. We pay extra on the top real estate websites to feature our client’s homes, push them to the top, obtain more branding, ultimately get more views on their homes so they sell faster. Every year I put out a report on which real estate websites are getting the most visitors. It is fascinating to discover each years winners and losers. Let’s take a look together: Top 5 Real Estate Websites in 2022 Monthly Visitors Average Visit Duration 1. Zillow.com 255.5 Million 6:20 2. Realtor.com 136.7 Million 5:55...

Sell Your House Online – Top 5 Options

February 4, 2022

The 2020 National Association of Realtors report shows that 43% of potential home buyers used the internet as the first step in their search to find a home. And 97% used the internet at some point in their home search. These stats illuminate the importance of having an exceptional online presence when selling your home. iBuyers are companies that buy homes online for cash, they claim to do so quickly and without much hassle. They’ve grown in the past few years and show no signs of disappearing, though they still remain a small part of the overall real estate market. It can be tempting to jump on the iBuyer bandwagon, but before you do, it’s important to know the ins...

How Homes are Sold Across the Country – 2022 Report

December 20, 2021

Selling a home can seem like a daunting task, whether you’ve done it many times or are doing it for the first time. There also seems to be more ways to sell a home than every before, so some research is in order. One must know how home buyers are finding, selecting, and purchasing homes for sale in order to know the best way to sell a home. What is the best way to market a home for sale in 2022 to get the biggest audience and best possible price? The National Association of Realtors (NAR) compiles an annual report that shares this and more, all based on careful, comprehensive nationwide research. Having this valuable information removes guesswork and will...

Professional Photography and 3D Tours Sell Homes Faster and for More

September 10, 2021

It might feel like a no-brainer to state that professional photos and 3D home tours help homes on the real estate market sell faster and for more. But that might surprise you is just how much more and just how much faster. I’ve been selling homes, licensed since 2003, and my team has completed over 2,000 home sales. Not only will I bring national studies to the table in this article, but I can speak from significant personal experience on the subject. Not all professional photography and not all 3D home tours are the same. I also hope to help bring some useful distinction to both. You might be surprised to learn there are 4 different categories of professional real...

What I Love About This Home – Zillow Section Removed

June 9, 2021

My real estate team in Oregon and Washington sells a lot of homes, a few hundred each year. We do everything we can to give our client’s homes an edge online. For us that means two things, first, we pay extra to top real estate portals (like Zillow, Realtor.com, Homes.com, etc.) for higher positioning. Second, we check all the boxes and do whatever is necessary to fill out the listing so it looks fantastic and carries with it all of the important home details. That’s why we were shocked when the Zillow editable description section, “What I Love About This Home,” suddenly disappeared on all our client’s listings. MLS descriptions are limited. Zillow’s “What I Love About This Home” was...

4 Reasons Not to Sell a Home Online to an iBuyer

May 31, 2021

If you’ve ever checked out your home on major websites like Redfin or Zillow, chances are you’ve seen a tantalizing number. These sites give you a ballpark of what your home may be worth. And they aren’t alone. For the past few years, iBuyers – online portals that offer cash up front for your home – have been on the rise. And based on their marketing, they want you to get those dollar signs flashing in your eyes. In order to get a snapshot of what iBuyers are advertising, all you need is to perform a basic search. Our first three results – all paid ads – came up as follows: Sell Your House Fast for Cash We Buy Houses...

Top 10 Real Estate Websites by Traffic – 2021

February 12, 2021

A top real estate agent will know the trends, which real estate websites have the most home buyers on them, and how to best promote their clients’ homes on those same sites so their homes get more attention, sell faster, and for more money. So every year I put out a report looking at the winners and loosers, which real estate websites are gaining in traffic and which are dropping. As a top 1% sellers agent in the United States, serving Oregon and Washington, I pay extra to the top sites on behalf of my clients so their homes sell faster and for more (I already said that, but honestly most don’t understand huge impact it has), and so, of...

Should You Sell Your House Online? 5 IBuyer Options

January 20, 2021

There’s no getting around it: the importance of an online presence for buyers is growing. In 2019, 93% of people shopping for a home used an online website in their search. But what about sellers? It’s likely that by now you’ve seen advertisements for companies that will buy your home hassle-free. These “iBuyers” pitch themselves as the easiest way to sell your home fast. Redfin and Zillow have been expanding their home buying programs for years now, with Zillow announcing in 2019 an intention to focus even more attention on Zillow Offers. And more iBuyer startups have joined the game. But how exactly does selling your home online work, and more importantly, what will it cost you? We’ll lay it...

Top 10 Real Estate Websites by Traffic – 2020 Update

February 14, 2020

Real estate websites have a huge impact on the housing industry. Nearly every American spends time on one real estate website or another, looking for homes for sale, researching home prices, and staying in touch with the real estate market. NAR, the National Association of Realtors, reports that 95% of home buyers will search for their next home online. This report specifically focuses on websites buyers are using to search for homes. We pay extra on the top real estate websites. It is obvious where home buyers are, and we watch the numbers closely. Because most home sells are due to internet marketing, we track where the buyers are engaging online and pay extra money direct to real estate websites...