As a national brand, Coldwell Banker continues to lead real estate technology. We were the first real estate brokerage firm to use a visually driven search platform on coldwellbanker.com and the first to launch a customized iPhone app. So when Apple released the iPad back in April, we watched with interest. Would it change the way our REALTORS® serve clients or how clients search for homes?
Over the last six months, the iPad has been called everything from a “game changer” to “the future of real estate.” I decided to ask a few tech savvy real estate pros to give their view of how the iPad is revolutionizing the buying and selling process.
Instant Access Means Instant Gratification
Exceptional real estate service happens now—not an hour later. By using apps such as Zillow or Coldwell Banker on the iPad, REALTORS® can immediately find nearby open houses and look up tax records, listing statistics, Comparative Marketing Analysis (CMAs), contact details and interior photos for specific properties. REALTORS® can even use apps such as Google Earth to show their clients an aerial photo of the neighborhood or find nearby amenities. “It’s all about location-based search,” one real estate agent told me.
Better Mobility Means Better Real Estate Service
Another exciting feature of the iPad is the ability to store large quantities of information electronically. It reduces real estate agents’ reliance on paper and increases operational efficiency and mobility.
“Coldwell Banker has already created a customizable listing presentation for use on the iPad,” said David Marine, director of products and innovation at Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “We are also actively looking at how some of our traditional products can be translated for better use on the iPad.”
Video, Video, Video
Brad Inman, founder of Inman News, Homegain.com, TurnHere and Vook, has said that “a picture is worth a thousand words, but video is worth a million.” The iPad’s full-size display is ideal for viewing video sharing sites such as On Location, Coldwell Banker’s YouTube channel— all on the go.
Most real estate experts agree that the iPad is tailor-made for real estate content. Inman recently said, “The device brings together all of the best elements of the web—video, photos, real-time data, social media.” The iPad provides today’s real estate agents with an opportunity to be more productive, more accessible and more knowledgeable for their clients.
Making the Grade: Schools Have Major Impact on Home Buying Decisions
August 28th, 2010Over the past few weeks, our family has been preparing to send my daughter off to college. For our family, it is a significant milestone on the road map of our children’s future, and a goal shared by many other Orange County families. The quality of our children’s education is important—so important that it often plays a major role in where we choose to live. That is why I would like to take this opportunity to talk about schools’ impact on the home buying decision.
Of all the local neighborhood amenities that can influence a buyer’s decision to purchase a home, proximity to good quality schools is one of the most influential. According to the 2009 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 26 percent of home buyers listed school quality and 21 percent listed proximity to schools as deciding factors in their home purchase.
If you are fortunate to live in Orange County, then you probably already know that the region boasts some of the best school districts in California and even the United States. According to the California Department of Education 2010 API rankings, Orange County’s public schools continue to outperform campuses statewide, with more than half placing among the best in California. In a May 13, 2010 Orange County Register article, County Superintendent William Habermehl noted: “These scores show Orange County has some of the best schools in the state. The county has a higher concentration of high-achieving schools than almost anywhere else.”
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage understands how important schools are to home buyers, especially those who live in Orange County. That is why we have developed several online tools to help you with your home search. On californiamoves.com, you can find detailed community relocation guides for Orange County, with academic information on the public school system, private education opportunities, universities, local childcare and more.
In addition, each property listing on OCViewOnline.com includes details about the community and local schools. All of these resources are available to help make your purchase decision easier—proof once again that Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is moving and learning with you.
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