| According to the 2006 NAR Profile of Home Buyers | | | | Yard sign - 63% |
| and Sellers and "The Pew Internet and American Life | | | | Internet - 80% |
| Project," the Internet is fast becoming a valuable tool | | | | Newspaper - 55% |
| for consumers in the market to buy a home. Important | | | | Home book/magazine - 34% |
| statistics support this claim, as the traditional method of | | | | Open house - 47% |
| buying a home evolves with modern technology. | | | | Builders - 26% |
| 1. When real estate companies were asked about their | | | | Television - 11% |
| use of a website, an overwhelming majority (87%) | | | | Relocation company - 5% |
| report that they have a company website. | | | | Source: 2006 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and |
| Real Estate Companies that Use a Website | | | | Sellers |
| Yes - 87% | | | | 6. The percentage of all Internet users who have gone |
| No - 9% | | | | online to search for information about a place to live |
| No Response - 4% | | | | has increased steadily in recent years. |
| 2. When Internet consumers bought homes, a large | | | | Percent of All Internet Users Who Have Searched |
| percent (81%) of them continued to use an agent or | | | | Online for a Place to Live |
| broker to assist in the purchase. | | | | 2000: 27% |
| Method of Home Purchase by Those Who Use | | | | 2004: 34% |
| Internet | | | | 2006: 39% |
| Agent/Broker - 81% | | | | 7. Recent trends show a direct correlation between |
| Direct from Builder - 10% | | | | age and use of Internet to obtain information about a |
| Direct from previous owner - 5 % | | | | place to live. In general, as age increases, consumers' |
| No Response - 4% | | | | Internet use decreases. |
| Source: 2006 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and | | | | Internet users who have searched online for |
| Sellers | | | | information about a place to live, by age category: |
| 3. Real estate agents diversify their listings online. Most | | | | 18-29 years: 51% |
| Realtors® have listings on several types of | | | | 30-49 years: 43% |
| websites, including 30% who use a Franchiser's | | | | 50-64 years: 27% |
| website. | | | | 65+ years: 15% |
| Placement of Realtor® Listings | | | | Source: The Pew Internet & American Life |
| - 82% | | | | Project, December 2006 |
| Local Realty Firm Website - 76% | | | | 8. Among consumers who actually found a new place |
| Local REALTOR® Association Website - 50% | | | | to live during 2004-2005, half of them (50%) |
| Franchiser's Website - 30% | | | | responded that the Internet had played a role in helping |
| Broker IDX/Broker Reciprocity Website - 29% | | | | them make that change in their lives. Of those who |
| Source: 2006 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and | | | | responded this way, one-third (33%) said that the |
| Sellers | | | | Internet had played a "crucial" role in their decision. |
| 4. As a result of using the Internet, homebuyers are | | | | Another third (33%) said the Internet played an |
| inspired to take actions toward purchasing their new | | | | "important" role, and a final third (33%) said the Internet |
| home. | | | | played a "minor" role in their decision. This shows a |
| Actions taken as a result of using Internet site (%) | | | | major increase from the previous three years. |
| Drove by/viewed a home - 74% | | | | 2002 2005 |
| Walked through a home - 61% | | | | Buyers who said the Internet played a role in their |
| Found agent used to search/buy home - 23% | | | | decision 38% 50% |
| Source: REALTORS® and Technology: The 2004 | | | | Role Internet played in their decision |
| National Association of REALTORS® Technology | | | | Crucial 9% 33% |
| Impact Survey Report | | | | Important 13% 33% |
| 5. The largest majority of consumers use a real estate | | | | Minor 16% 33% |
| agent and/or the Internet as a source to find a new | | | | 9. Internet users increasingly utilize housing-related |
| home. | | | | resources available online that they would otherwise |
| Information Sources Used in Home Search | | | | be unable to access. |
| Real estate agent - 85% | | | | |