Big Data

We live in the age of Big Data, and many people make their livings seeking out trends and truisms.  We do a lot of that in real estate, and most clients begin a search for property by trolling the internet for information.  There are many services that compile data (perhaps not surprisingly, many of them are owned by the same parent company).  Some choose to look at the listings themselves.  Others seek out recent sales in a given market, or compare rental rates or vacancies across metropolitan areas. 

Of course, when you Google a property, what comes up may be old, or outdated, or even wrong.  Area averages may not apply in certain cases, for any number of reasons.  That's where agents come in.  At the end of the day, or the transaction, we are still in a people business.  Clients are buying our negotiating expertise and local market knowledge.  Whatever the issue that arises, we've probably seen it before.  If not, we know where to seek the answers.  If you need the help of other professionals, we know them, and can refer you out.  Perhaps the day will come, although I doubt it, when entire transactions will be done on line, with no parties ever laying eyes on each other, but we are certainly not there yet.  So take advantage of what's available on the internet, and then call a Realtor.  We're here to provide the rest of what you need!