Nearly Half of Realtors’ Business Originates From Internet

RISMEDIA, Oct. 11, 2007- Realtors® said that nearly half - 44% - of their business originates from Internet, according to the California Association of Realtors® (C.A.R.) “2007 Use of Technology Survey.” In 2003, the first year C.A.R. conducted the “Use of Technology Survey,” REALTORS® said that only 19% of their business originated from the Internet.

The annual survey, conducted in the third quarter, tracks current trends in technology used by the Association’s members. Realtors are queried on topics ranging from computer and technology adoption to Internet usage and trends.

C.A.R. Executive Vice President Joel Singer presented the survey results at “REALTOR® 2.0: The Next Big Thing,” the general session kickoff to Tech Tuesday at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Tech Tuesday offered a full day of technology training and information preceding the California Realtor® EXPO 2007.

“Realtors are striving to meet the demands of their clientele by delivering an unmatched customer experience as well as stay on the cutting edge in terms of Web 2.0-the “mash-ups” of data and second-generation Internet resources and software tools,” said C.A.R. President Colleen Badagliacco. “As Realtors move toward becoming more ‘2.0,’ it will offer an opportunity for greater productivity and efficiency in the real estate transaction as well as contributing to the value Realtors add to the real estate transaction.”

Realtors also are turning to high-tech instruments such as handheld Internet devices, e-mail, and Web sites to communicate with their clients. With 25% of Realtors using their handheld wireless Internet device “all the time,” 28% of respondents said they answered clients’ e-mails instantly and another 36% within 30 minutes to one hour.

Additional survey highlights include:

- 97% of REALTORS® have a high-speed Internet connection at home.
- 27% use a laptop or tablet computer in the field primarily to conduct listing presentations.
- 20% indicated that a new computer was their most important business upgrade in the last 12 months, followed by a hands-free phone at 19% and handheld Internet device at 13%.
- 87% find the Internet extremely or very important in the marketing and promotion of their business, up from 69% one year earlier.
- 9% of REALTORS® say they participate in online real estate forums or blogs.

For more information, visit www.car.org.