When I read the story about an 8 Year High in the Argus and Contra Costa Times, I was not sure. Yes, we saw a lot of increased activity, but are your areas doing the same?

I am in Alameda County, in the San Francisco Bay Area, Fremont CA.

Where are you? and What are you seeing in your office? All comments are appreciated.

Jeff

I received a call from Eve Mitchell, staff writer for the Contra Costa Times a couple of weeks ago. She asked me if I had a recent homebuyer who--if not for the down turn in home prices--would never have bought. She had found me on my website.

Like a lot of Realtors who get called a lot from every vendor known to man, I didn't think much of it at first. Another survey of some sort, I thought. But she was, in fact, a writer doing a legit story on how homebuyers who were priced way out of the market a while back are now finally getting their days in escrow.

Odette was my client at the tail end of 2008. She found me on the Internet as well on my Homes.com website. Long story short--we closed on a cute 2 bed condo in Union City just before Christmas. Mitchell liked the story and decided to do the write up. Here's the link to the online article. I like the print better, so I gave you a snip from the front page of the Money section that ran on 3-9-09. Argus/Contra Costa Times et. al. The front page of the Argus header read. "A Silver Lining." It was right next to "Happy Birthday Barbie." who apparently turned 50. The image above is of Odette and her son Nathan. Congrats.

With home searching on the Internet becoming the more popular choice for home buyers to do their initial house hunting, agents can become displaced very early on in the process of working with a home buyer.

Take my site and I for example: tricityhome.com. It uses google/api integration for its Fremont CA home search engine. At the time of writing, we receive 21,000 hits each month. But, when an email arrives at the inbox or the phone rings due to a call to action on the site, the commonplace afterward is to just have the agent provide links, updates and e-notifications for the soon to be homebuyer.

There's the disconnect. We are no longer in control. Most of the time, the home buyer does not want to form a relationship yet. They just want their stuff. I can relate. I only want my stuff when I go to a site for info or downloads. I don't want to be called or put on a mailing list. But the very definition of agent means relationship. We cannot be doing our jobs until we have one, a relationship that is.

But, being with an agent is the best thing that could happen to a buyer.
It's the same as:

• Having an open house wherever you go. The agent has the permission to enter and the key
• Getting a local, professional opinion on the home being viewed
• Receiving immediate answers to questions concerning HOA, reports, disclosures, etc.
• Using a buffer to speak to the seller--keeping the buyer in a safe negotiating position.
• Not to mention the free ride from house to house.

So, what do we do? We introduce ourselves throughout the Internet communication process and initiate small steps of commitment. Not necessarily in this order, but we hope to get just a little back:

1. A reply to an email-nice
2. A return of an opinion to a home tha was viewed by the home buyer-0k
3. A return phone call-ok
4. Downloading the 1003-good
5. Coming into the office-super! (this used to be required before showing a buyer a home) gone are those days.

We continue to follow up by way of phone, email, etc. After all, we cannot blame them for keeping their distance, but I'm sure a lot of agents will agree that we feel displaced, they feel like it is just a one way street where the agent gives and gives and gets nothing in return. However, the preamble of the Realtor remains the same that, we will stand by our would be home buyers and give them what they need--it would just be a bit quicker if we made the one way street into a two way street.

One of our homes for sale is getting more viewings. I have some ideas about that.

In my opinion, I think that homebuyers are at least feeling better about searching for homes in general. That's really all this image taken from my Realtor.com reporting is proving. But, none the less, people are searching more than they were, say in November.

My website has more visits too.

Here is a snippet from my domain reporting program. In short, After the Holidays, people seem to be ready to search.

We do not have offers on the home, but that is another blog post.

If you notice the spikes on the 13th and the 14th, then again on the 21st, you will see that those are Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Interesting. If you know why, let me know.

I am hopeful and hoping that people are really starting to feel better about purchasing a new home.

After all, prices are very low, and so are the rates.