The value of an online presence, in terms of real estate, has never been more important, as more and more people are finding homes for sale online.

Marketing a home today is not like it was in days past according to Search Realty Corp. Brokerage. Home buyers rely less on newspapers and open houses, and more on online resources, in order to obtain valuable home buying information, which they require in order to go about purchasing a home.

Home buyers want to learn as much as possible about the home buying process by relying on online content, compared to the past, when they’d more than likely turn to friends and family to compare notes. Searching online for a home has basically become the standard, and more and more people are heading to their desktops and laptops when that thought of buying a home slips into their mind.

There are exceptions however. Those over the age of 50, looking to buy a home, are more likely to stick to older traditions, and grab a newspaper or make a quick phone call to a realtor. By contrast, those under the age of 50, especially those within their 20s and 30s, are inevitably going to begin their search for a new home online.

Online real estate has not however, sped up the home buying process. Unlike a site such as Amazon or eBay, you can’t just simply add a home to a cart and click checkout. Online search for homes is basically considered a starting point for potential home buyers, in that, an online search can help a potential home buyer get a sense for what is out there, and more importantly, narrow the list of potential homes to purchase.

Real estate companies specialize in Internet marketing with a large online presence spread throughout over 100 real estate websites where traffic is used to sell client homes, find home buyers for prospective home sellers and also to recruit highly skilled realtors, to service home buyers and home sellers, ensuring a thorough and fulfilling experience, all at zero fees to the home buyer.

But, no matter how things change, some things remain the same. Real estate agents are still the most important source of information for the vast majority of home buyers.

Internet home buyers were more likely to contact a real estate agent than buyers who did not use the Internet to search for homes. Thus, although searching for a home online, is the first step for a lot of home buyers, eventually, home buyers will enlist the aid of a real estate agent.

There are many advantages to purchasing a home online. It allows the home buyer quickly see a large number of homes for sale, and obtain details about each, as well as the asking price. If the home buyer has narrowed down their search to a specific neighborhood or area, the home buyer can focus a search for a home to that specific area. And finally, through searching for a home online, list details are provided and the home buyer can easily follow up once a promising home is found.

When the time comes to sell a home, the home seller can easily get tempted to pursue the do-it-yourself approach, with the hope being that they will save on the real estate commission they’d otherwise pay with the use of a realtor.

Search Realty advises that anyone selling a home look over the following five tips, before doing so.

First: is the home seller a good negotiator? Realty agents negotiate, like a sports agent, always keeping in mind the best interest of the home seller and only the home seller.

Secondly, most home sellers lack a genuine network of contacts, which real estate professionals do.

Third on the list: does the home seller have enough knowledge of the current market to price the home properly and put it on the market at a price that will be attractive to both the home seller and any potential home buyers?

The fourth tip – does the home seller have the time to show the home to potential home buyers and is the home seller available seven days a week?

And five; does the home seller have the necessary skills and finances to advertise and market the home for sale effectively? Another key point, and one of the biggest, is that only a realtor can list a home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to ensure that it receives the widest possible exposure, and thus the best possible price.

There are many other things that a home seller should understand before deciding upon the do-it-yourself approach. Closing a sale involves many steps, there a legal issues, such as a legally enforceable contracts.

The message is simple. To get the best possible value and also avoid undue stress that comes along with the sale of a home, the home seller should leave it to the professionals, and just sit back, relax, and wait for the offers to start rolling in.

Search Realty Corp. Brokerage is a real estate company utilizing the best tools and technology to serve the needs of today’s Home Buyers, Sellers and REALTORS®.