With the start of Major League Baseball’s Spring Training this week, we would like to call your attention to the way we use technology and statistics when assisting you in the home buying process.
Technology today is changing how people do their jobs in just about every field including baseball players, and real estate agents. It is changing how we view the world around us, whether it is in 3D pitching analysis, or if we are interviewing with the media from around world. Transformation of information is happening not by the hour, but by the second and if you are late you are most likely the last one to know. A lot of companies are even hiring full-time employees to sit and monitor their social media sites, just to make sure they stay up-to-date on current trends. If only the closing process on the housing market would be just as fast. Unfortunately getting the government, banks, title companies, and real estate agents all on the same page is more difficult than the technology we have obtained thus far, so real estate agencies must find other ways to use the technology that is at their disposal. Here is what HomeBuyer Experts is doing:
1) Virtual Tours - Have you ever had to relocate for a new job that was more than a few hours drive? Time is extremely limited to go look at houses, make sure your spouse is available to go, remember what you saw, and learn the areas of where you are looking not to mention the gas and wear on your vehicles. Are you handicapped, or have difficulties getting around? At HomeBuyer Experts you can now view houses from your home, while we take you through them with the use of video streaming, Skype, and/or Facetime chats. It is virtually like you are right there in the home yourself. It allows us to make sure that the time you do spend in the area is worthwhile, and not spent on viewing homes you have zero interest in or do not appear to what they seem. * Please Note that we do not do this with all our clients, we still have the capability to visit houses with you personally.
2) Social Media - With the use of Social Media, (like this blog), we can keep our consumers informed on what is in going on in the housing markets from our perspective. What interest rates are looking like at the present moment. We can answer common questions quickly and easily. And if you feel the need to send us feedback or write a testimonial on how we operate as a company, you have that capability. So follow us on twitter @buyer_broker, Like us on facebook, connect with our President Chris Whitehead on LinkedIN, and tune in to our blog on Monday’s to check out our latest blog postings.
3) MLS - According to our President, Chris Whitehead, legend has it that real estate agents once had a mythical book of house listings, and the only way to peek in that book, was to obtain the services of a real estate agent. Well thanks to the internet, those mythical books are gone, and are now online on the Multiple Listing Service site. This site allows us to assist the consumer in the search for houses. It enables us to recommend houses to our consumers, and for the consumers to accept or reject recommendations. It also allows the consumer to recommend houses to our agents, and ask questions about particular houses. Sorry old-timers no more secret books!
4) DocuSign & True-forms - With the use of these two applications, documents no longer have to be printed out and written by hand. This is a major part in HomeBuyer Experts efforts to “Go Green” and be as paperless as possible. While the ability to be entirely paperless may be impossible, we at HBE have made significant strides since the beginning of the year. Docusign enables us to send legal documents from the agent to the consumers to the lenders, and anyone else that needs to view or sign the documents electronically. No printing required. True-forms allows the agents to adjust the terms of contracts electronically and quickly. No printing required.
5) Dropbox- This may single-handedly be the most crucial application in our efforts to “Go Green” and be as paperless as possible. Dropbox allows us to store and file all documents from consumer transactions in on place. It is security protected from break-ins and fireproof, unlike our file-boxes in the office. Although we are confident in our security measures in the office, we simple don’t want to print off the paper anymore, and find it faster and simpler to store the documents here. This also allows us the ability to open the files or file the paperwork from any location whether it be while showing a house with a consumer, or while your communications specialist is lounging on the beaches of Siesta Key, FL or watching MLB spring training.
Like the use of Instant Replay or Pitch Tracking in baseball, technology is changing the world of real estate everywhere. HBE is a front runner in this move, and will continue to use technology to its maximum capabilities.
Statistics are a major part in the game of baseball. When a player steps up to the plate, the first thing you see under his name is his batting average, and his performance for the day, or in the series. When being chosen for the Hall of Fame, or determining the value of a free agent, all people look at are, “the numbers”, how many home runs did he hit? What was his lifetime ERA? How often did he get caught stealing? What was his fielding percentage?
In real estate it is often said that it is all about, “Location, Location, Location!”, I would have to respectfully disagree with this saying, by saying that it is only partly about location. At HBE we feel that the perfect house is different for everyone, so we have developed a statistical system using key attributes buyers seek in houses, and where they rank in importance to each buyer.
Then we ask our buyers to score each attribute on a scale of 1-10 while viewing houses. Afterwards we analyze the data, and determine if the houses we looked at are good matches. Ultimately the decision is still up to the buyer, but this is one tool we use to assist the buyer in tough decisions, or as a reminder of why they are considering or no longer considering buying a particular house.
Buyers often get caught up in different emotions of the buying process. Whether is be the excitement of buying your first house, or the rush/anxiety to find a house at a good price, or the irritation of not agreeing on a house with your spouse. Our system is designed to help all of these situations and more.
Our goal is NOT to sell you any house, but to help you purchase the house YOU want. We want to assist in your efforts to find a house in any way possible, without pushing you towards a particular house we think you would like. Our system allows us to take YOUR interests, compile the YOUR thoughts, and analyze the results so that you may review what truly matters to you.
Photo: clevelandseniors.com
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