Like every other business everywhere, HomesMSP maintains an online presence on several sites. Between here at the daily blog, Facebook and Twitter, as well as real estate-specific portals like Active Rain, Zillow and Trulia, we like to serve our client base and other interested parties with relevant information, market stats and helpful tips. Each site has its own strengths and weaknesses; and since no one site serves all the needs of all the parties involved, we use each for its strengths, and switch to another tool when needed.
We often get leads from our Trulia account from potential buyers who are just getting started in the process. This type of website portal—Trulia, Zillow, Redfin, etc.—are great for many reasons: the format is easy to use and intuitive for users, the layout is attractive, there are links to other sites to get more or different yet related information like walkscore, and, similar to searching for products on Amazon.com, the site’s bots suggest similar homes based on your search criteria.
There are pitfalls, too. The most common of these is that these portals are not as readily updated, so information is often outdated. For instance, I’ve received two inquiries from Trulia within the past month for the same property that’s listed for sale, with no contingencies noted. When I look at the property in the MLS, however, an offer was accepted on this home months ago, subject to third-party approval since the listing is a potential short sale.
Since the consumer-facing site (Trulia) doesn’t offer all the information I’d like to share with clients, when I respond to these inquiries, I switch to the tool that’s more useful and comprehensive for me (MLS).
It comes down to a matter of preference: Consumer-facing websites appeal to the audience they’re designed for, and if they help make the process easier and more fun, they’re doing their job. Realtors will always suggest clients utilize the tools available through the MLS, because of the comprehensive data that’s available, but also because it was designed with realtors’ needs and the needs of their clients in mind. In the end, it usually ends up being a bit of both: by finding the tools that fit the job and being flexible, the end goal is a successful transaction with happy clients!
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Angela Anderson, 612-396-3654
Realtor, Results Support Services: EMAIL — BIO
Licensed Associate Working with Sharlene Hensrud of RE/MAX Results, and HomesMSP — Sharlene, John, Angela