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Facebook, Twitter Become Friends of Real Estate Industry

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 April 2009, 13:40 CDT

RESPRO conference details social networking to connect with homebuyers

WASHINGTON, April 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are among social networking options by the real estate industry connecting with consumers seeking a combination of technology and human touch.

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The national meeting of the Real Estate Services Providers Council (RESPRO), a national non-profit trade association of real estate broker-owners, real estate franchisers, mortgage lenders, title insurers and agencies, homebuilders, home service and settlement providers united to deliver cost efficient services to consumers through strategic alliances across the home-buying industry, on April 7 found leaders sharing new strategies to reach "echo-boomers" heavily using computers to research home sales.

Sherry Chris, president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, said 80 percent of consumers now use both the internet to research homes and a real estate agent to complete the transaction.

"Tomorrow's consumer will want to visit sites with as much information as possible." Chris said. "It will be a combination of the consumer and agent using technology. People are looking for the new opportunity, the new way and help from technology. "

Steve Murray, president of Real Trends, said: "There's a generation of young people who prefer not to talk; they prefer to text [message]. But there's no evidence of consumers turning away from meeting face to face with real estate providers. People want to know they have a trusted person who communicates well even in the age of technology."

Networking is also helping the real estate industry during the current housing slump. Murray said many "buyers prefer the convenience of developing a relationship with one party to guide them through everything given they have choices in the process" through affiliated businesses during the home-buying process.

"[Real estate] companies who [also] have mortgage and title companies are going to be the survivors," Champion Realty president and CEO Jon Coile said. "The ones who don't are not."

Said Chad Ochsner, broker-owner of Remax Alliance: "In-house [affiliated businesses] have become ingrained in our fabric."

About RESPRO:

The Real Estate Services Providers Council (RESPRO) Inc. is a national non-profit trade association of real estate broker-owners, real estate franchisers, mortgage lenders, title insurers and agencies, homebuilders, home service and settlement providers united to deliver cost efficient services to consumers through strategic alliances across the home-buying industry. For more information, visit respro.org.

CONTACT: Sue Johnson (703) 862-2051, ext. 210.

SOURCE Real Estate Services Provider Council

Source: PR Newswire

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