Article from: CyberProp Newsletter, 08 January 2010

Residential real estate: will anything ever replace the agent?

In an era in which technology in general and, email in particular, are speeding up and facilitating estate agents’ marketing efforts, is the one-on-one agent-client relationship still important? Can it be replaced by good electronic communication and marketing?

The answer to the first question is, says Lanice Steward, MD of Anne Porter Knight Frank, very definitely “yes” – and to the second “no”.

“Nothing can ever replace the visit to the home. There have been cases of people buying sight unseen and solely as a result of pictures or videos – but 95% of buyers have to see, touch and experience the home. They have to feel that it will suit them – and they need a sensitive empathetic agent close by to answer their queries and help them decide.

“Homes are bought with the heart and not the head, unlike a commercial property is bought as a return on investment. The “touch and feel” aspect will always make or break the deal and the agent will always be the catalyst in this experience.”

Good, sensitive agents, said Steward, are rare – but agents, whether good or bad, will always be essential to the sale process.