August 13, 2008

Cape Cod Real Estate and the Internet

It doesn't matter whether you are searching for a home on Cape Cod or in Malibu, Calif., the Internet has become an incredibly important resource for real estate buyers. That's why I have an interactive website: http://www.joemcgann.com. From my site you can navigate to my MLS Property Finder and log on to receive daily MLS updates on Cape Cod listings just as I do.

Statistics tell us that more than 85 percent of buyers begin their search there (not on my Web site, although I can dream, but on the internet) and look at an average of 50 properties online before ever contacting a Realtor. That's both a blessing and a curse to those of us who are real estate professionals. It's a blessing because there is nothing better than a well-informed buyer.

It's a curse, or at least it can be, because sometimes buyers think they know more than we do about our market. I liken it to a patient self diagnosing an illness on the internet and then telling a doctor how to treat it.

The truth is that we work extremely hard to both educate ourselves through required continuing education, designation courses and through MLS tours (where we view in person 10 to 50 homes per week) to stay ahead of the curve so that we can provide you, the buyer with the most up to date information on our marketplace. I love working with buyers. I pride myself on my knowledge of my marketplace and my ability to mesh the needs and desires of my buyers with the realities of my marketplace. A certain chemistry must occur between a Realtor and a buyer to make the "magic" happen, the magic being the "perfect" Cape Cod home.

It's up to me to create the chemistry that produces that magic. As you've undoubtedly heard many times, buying a home for most of us is the single largest purchase we will ever make. As the buyer, it's up to you to monitor the progress you are making with a Realtor. If you have to tell the Realtor how to "operate" then maybe it is time for a change. Hey, it happens. Sometimes the fit just ain't the right one and its better determined early in the process.

So, yes, definitely look to your heart's content on the internet, most preferably on my site, but never forget the human side of the equation. Once all the numbers are abstracted and the information is extracted and absorbed online, remember that this is still a human process.

Posted By: Joe McGann