The Home Search

Buyers used a variety of resources when they begin searching for a home. The survey results reveal that the Internet and real estate professionals are the most popular resources: 87 percent of buyers used the Internet while 85 percent used a real estate agent. Home searchers also relied on yard signs (62 percent), open houses (48 percent) and print or newspaper ads (47 percent). When it comes to where buyers first learned about the home they ultimately purchased, slightly more than one third of them cited their real estate agent as the source. Thirty-two percent cited the Internet. Indeed, buyers most commonly start their search process online and then contact a real estate agent.

The trend in using the Internet as an information source has risen consistently since NAR began asking buyers about their Internet usage. Even just five years ago, 71 percent of buyers reported using the Internet as an information source; in 2008 the percentage was 87. Not only has the trend in overall Internet usage risen, but the percent of buyers who reported using the Internet frequently increased from 42 percent in 2003 to 69 percent. (From Article on Realtor©.org)