I recently read a report that was published by Borrell Associates, a firm that provides research and consulting on interactive advertising and marketing.  One of their latest reports addressed online real estate ad spending.  Simply put, real estate buyers have moved online en masse, with approximately 80% using the Internet for home searches.  Buyers are moving from traditional print-based advertising to the convenience of online searching.  Correspondingly, online real estate ad spending is lagging far behind this trend. 

This is an opportunity for progressive-minded real estate agents to surge ahead of their competitors by capitalizing on the real estate industry’s slow reaction to the way in which buyers are using the Internet to “shop” for a home.  I have a word of advice to any real estate professional who believes that having a website is all they need.  The migration from traditional newspapers and magazines to real estate listing services is well under way.  Promote yourself and your listings by using web-based marketing tools.  You will get a greater return on your advertising dollars.