2004 Profile of Home Buyers from the National Association of Realtors
Information Sources Used in a Home Search:
76% of First Time Homebuyers used the Internet.
90% of First Time Homebuyers used a Real Estate Agent.
74% of First Time Homebuyers used Yard Signs.
57% of First Time Homebuyers used the Newspaper.
51% of First Time Homebuyers used an Open House.
34% of First Time Homebuyers used a Home Builder.
42% of First Time Homebuyers used a Home book or Real Estate Magazine.
29% of First Time Homebuyers used the Television.
21f% of First Time Homebuyers used a Billboard.
16% of First Time Homebuyers used a Relocation Company.
Where Buyers first Learned about the Home Purchased:
38% used a Real Estate Agent.
16% used a Yard Sign.
15% used the Internet.
5% used the Newspaper.
7% knew a Friend/Neighbor/Relative.
7% used a Home Builder.
5% Knew the Seller.
2% used a Home Book or Real Estate Magazine.
4% used other sources.
69% of Buyers thought the use of the Internet in finding a Home was Very Useful. Remember, 74 percent of all Buyers, and 76% of all First Time Homebuyers used the Internet in searching for a Home. Homebuyers who used the Internet in their Home Search generally used other sources of Information as well. 93% of Internet Searchers relied on their Real Estate Agent for Real Estate Information, compared with 79% of non-Internet users. The Internet will only be even more useful to homebuyers in the future.
Buyers who used the Internet to Search for Homes, were more frequently married, younger and generally had higher incomes than those who did not use the internet.