From Online to Onsite: Meeting a prospective homebuyer in the flesh

October 2008 | Posted by Carolyn Pikoulas
In the old days, buyers would shop for homes by driving around to several houses on the market, and choosing the right one based on a process of elimination. But this is the 21st century. Instead of wasting time and gas, they can visit thousands of homes right online. The eliminations begin before they even step out of the door. Whether they shop by location, features or price, everything they want to know is available at their fingertips.

Homebuyers will build their short list and then drive only to the neighborhoods they are seriously considering. Each time they log onto your website, it's a visit. So they could easily have had 10 visits to the home before the salesperson first meets and greets them.

Without understanding that reality, buyers will usually say, "I'm not ready to buy today. It's my first visit." You, however, know they've already visited the home many times via the internet. This makes a compelling case for you: since they did their homework, the buyer may actually be ready to buy today and not realize it. With floor plans, mortgage calculators, property tax info, and area info all available from the internet, they've most likely had a thorough examination. So, it'll take some sleuthing to find out what exactly may be holding them back.

If buyers have already checked out your website and they are now showing up on your doorstep, congratulations-the website did its job. Your home has made it to their short list of "homes to go see in person." That's a good thing because it allows you to possibly close the sale in the first face-to-face meeting.

Source: www.myersbarnes.com

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