We're all so connected these days. It's easy for home buyers to assume that they're going to find the perfect home online (by doing a search on Tri-CitiesHomes.com, for example), or for home sellers to assume that your Realtor®'s amazing online marketing campaign is what's going to get the home sold.
Both of those things happen -- no doubt about it. But there's more than one way to buy or sell a home.
Don't overlook word-of-mouth with your personal network of friends, family, co-workers, etc.
I like to say that buying or selling a house is like when you're pregnant after the first trimester. You're going to want to tell everyone. And you should!
Here's why: When you're selling your home, you never know who else you know might know someone else who is looking for a home! It happens often, in fact. Someone at work mentions they're selling their house, and boom! You discover the new person in the accounting department is looking for a place. Or, a key employee from the admin team is planning to downsize and needs a smaller home.
Alternatively, when you tell people you're looking to buy, everyone at work suggests options for you. They'll tell you about a house they passed on the way to work that's for sale, or maybe a conversation with their neighbors who recently said they're thinking about selling...all sorts of things.
Even with a Realtor helping and even with instant access to the MLS database via the internet, word-of-mouth can outperform those methods. The word about the buyer or seller you need may just come bubbling up through your personal social network.
-Cari