Buyers Think Online First for New Home Searches

Gone are the days that the buyers’ primary source of property listings is the Sunday newspaper real estate section. People don’t wait anymore to let the print information arrive at their doorstep, since it’s at their fingertips in real time online.

The digital age has changed how Boston luxury homes are bought and sold. Although some print ads still appear in local papers, it’s no longer the main source of reference for buyers looking for a new home. Today’s buyers hardly look at the printed press for real estate ads. They rely mainly on different online sources. Some buyers are even on “auto-feed” from real estate sites / apps, or they hear about off-market properties through connected Boston luxury real estate brokers who are in-the-know.

Eventhough the method that consumers find Boston luxury homes information has shifted, some sellers are still focused on how their property gets advertised in the newspaper and micromanage the weekly ads. They get frustrated when their property isn’t selling and blame it on the ads not being good or frequent enough. Unfortunately, they fail to realize that 99% of Boston luxury real estate buyers get their information online and not the paper.

From my experience, the reason Boston luxury homes aren’t selling has nothing to do with the quality of newspaper ads, but it’s generally a variety of reasons. Price and condition are always major factors. However, it is very hard for older aged sellers to accept. Younger sellers embrace the digital age and don’t even think about print advertising, because they don’t seek information there. In the last two years, none of my buyers for new properties, or those I represented for sale, have been generated through a printed ad.

I have a team of marketing professionals that stay on top of current trends and have expertise in creating effective, digital ads that can help sell your home. Let me know if you’d like to explore your real estate options in Boston.