Why the web is so hot
Consumers that use the web are becoming better and better at research and have learned how to compare listings across sites and compare Realtor services, but sometimes the information becomes jumbled and consumers can get overwhelmed. On the other side of the coin is the consumer who doesn’t use the web to research, but still need guidance in getting started with the home buying process.
Brokgerages large and small are flocking to the web not just because their listings are there and their consumers are there, but web researchers are rewarding them – in a recent study by the National Association of Realtors, it was found that consumers that research the home buying process and homes online are much more likely to use a real estate agent than consumers who do not. This is the ultimate reasons brokers are putting so many eggs in the Internet basket.
Highlighting quality marketing
Coldwell Banker’s 2011 Home Buyer’s Guide is a well designed all-encompassing guide that helps researchers to find a starting place – it describes the process and how finance works, even offering a glossary, but it doesn’t bog down the reader with too many details.
Although it is strictly Coldwell Banker-centric, it is a great branding piece that stands as a model for agents or brokers seeking marketing inspiration. We are unsure if agents have the ability to customize the guide for their own use, and it is trying a little too hard to include every demographic in at least one photo, but otherwise, it is beautiful and easy to scan and incentivizes people printing it out, even if they only care about the worksheets (score one for branding).
Chicago real estate consultant, Kristine Britt pitched the Guide Book to her readers as follows: “Purchasing a home can be one of the biggest decisions of your life. Coldwell Banker Residential has created a great resource to help – a Home Buyer’s Guidebook: Finding and Financing Your Home. You may view the guidebook by clicking here.”
The full buyer’s guide
Although best viewed in magazine format (seen by clicking here), the guide is embedded below:
