Selling real estate in Clallam County, or anywhere in the country for that matter, is not what it used to be. It has dramatically changed in recent years. I’m not talking about the economy, the mortgage debacle, or the state of the real estate market. I’m thinking about the marketing and advertising of real estate for sale. The way buyers and sellers are connecting has taken a leap into the future, although I admit that leap was more like a frog in a pot of water slowly getting warmer. There is no precise point in time when this dramatic change took place, but it certainly has.
Most real estate brokers and agents around the country are still in the dark, but when the light does go on, it is like shining a flashlight into a dark room. Light shining into darkness reveals the truth. When you discover something, you suddenly begin to see proof of it everywhere, even though you’ve never noticed it before. I recently purchased a Chrysler New Yorker that is in nearly perfect condition. Before I bought it, I never noticed New Yorkers on the highway. Now that I drive one, I see New Yorkers everywhere. Funny how that works, isn’t it?
USA Today had a great article on August 8, 2008 in the Money section, entitled, “Faster, higher, stronger – and digital.”
“Marketing around the Olympics used to be like a 100-meter cakewalk. You’d pay a gazillion dollars to the International Olympic Committee, then pay a gazillion more to brag like heck about it on TV and in print ads. That was then. This is now: Add on a multi-pronged digital ad strategy that feeds on megabuzz. It must touch all the hot buttons from the hippest social-networking sites to the coolest blogs to the cellphones of those most coveted by marketers – trendsetters 18 to 26.”
Technology, the digital age, and the Internet, have changed the rules of the game in real estate, too. Of course most buyers and sellers are not 18 to 26, but even people in their 70’s are using the Internet for email, for shopping, and for research on buying and selling real estate.
Now that you’ve taken a ride in my Chrysler New Yorker, take a look at the scenary every day around you. I think you’ll begin to see how dramatically technology is changing everything. The new is in. The old is fading. This reality is important for buyers and sellers of homes and land, but it is especially significant in this slow market. No, it’s not just important–it’s critical!
Last Updated on August 12, 2008 by Chuck Marunde
