Our educational focus is not limited to home buyers. We recognize the importance of informing real estate professionals about financing topics, the constantly changing mortgage environment, and demographics on today’s home buyers. We share information via live seminars, webinars, videos, and a learning website dedicated to real estate professionals, so agents can keep themselves up-to-date and are knowledgeable about resources and financing options for their clients. Take a minute to visit the Agent Resource Center and learn about the resources available to help you grow your business.
How should I reach out to this year’s homebuyers?
There is little doubt that today’s homebuyer is mobile and dependent on online resources. If you have read recent issues of Real Estate magazine, you have seen excellent articles offering insights into online and social media marketing and the importance of mobile devices. Your success may, in fact, depend on how you adapt to this environment.
Fifty-six percent of all American adults own a smartphone, according to a 2013 recent study from PewResearch.org. By age, 81 percent of 25-to-34 year olds own a smartphone, while the number is 69 percent for people between 35 and 44. Among African Americans smartphone ownership is 64 percent, among Hispanics it is 60 percent, and the non-Hispanic white ownership rate is 54 percent, the survey found.
Clearly, the adoption of smartphones is changing how people gather information, reason enough to convince real estate pros that it’s time to focus even more on how to do business with prospective buyers online and via mobile devices. Using social media and mobile apps to communicate, connect and share images is already vital to a real estate agent’s growth strategies. Visit bettermoneyhabits.com to see what Bank of America is offering online to consumers to help them learn about and better manage their personal finances in preparation for homeownership, and life.
Looking at 2014 and beyond, we all know that forecasts of economic factors and human behavior can sometimes be more art than science. Yet there are solid reasons to support the idea that the 2014 housing market will continue to be one of transition.
In any period of change and transition, the successful real estate professional is the one who remains focused, knows who their prospective clients are, understands their needs, and nimbly adapts to communication preferences and technologies. Of course, working with lenders who are eager to help you achieve your goals is an excellent strategy, too.
Here’s to you, wishing real estate professionals the best of success this year and for many years to come.
For more information, visit www.BankofAmerica.com.