Within the last 10 years Real Estate websites have gone from being digital business cards to some of the most visually impressive, popular and interactive websites on the internet. They have gone from sideshow projects to state of the art, technologically advanced, main stream sites. Real Estate websites of all descriptions have been widely accepted and adopted by the general population. This trend has been growing steadily since the late nineties.  In fact, back in March 2003, it was estimated that 10% of the total online population checked out a real estate or rental site.

Born out of this demand and growing popularity, today’s real estate website designs offer up media rich, interactive sites that convert targeted visitors into quality leads. 

According to a recent REALTOR survey the internet is the number one tool that has become integrated into the tool kit of real estate professionals. Over 96% of those surveyed considered the internet an essential tool, beating out cell phones and digital cameras.   81% of those surveyed, stated that searchable listings online have transformed the way they do business. A further 73% stated that the internet has made selling easier.  Perhaps the most striking statistic to come out of this survey is the fact that almost all of the clients had access to listings online and used them to help them determine the market.  

A clear indication of the growing importance of the internet in real estate is the increasing use of the internet in lead generation.  In 2005, 30% of leads came from online sources, in 2006 that number grew over ten percent to 42%.  Further, private, agent/agency websites are the number one source for on line lead generation.  These private owner-operated sites generate more leads then the MLS and REALTOR sites.

In one year, from 2005 to 2006, the quality and conversion of these leads has grown.  In 2005 a healthy 60% of all online leads lead to sales. In 2006 the number rose to 81%, a dramatic increase over the year before.  In other words, for every 100 leads generated online, 81 of them converted into a sale.
What is so promising about these figure is that the cost of taking advantage of the internet is remarkably small.  Agents who spent between $2000 and $5000 a year on their sites generated 60% of their leads from the internet.  This is a powerful statement, for very small initial investment, it is possible to generate more leads, faster and with a better lead to sales ratio.

2007 is yet another growth year for real estate internet usage. There is every indication that the internet will continue to play an ever increasing role in generating quality leads and promoting strong sales figures.  As this trend continues, real estate professionals who establish their online presence will consistently out perform their offline counterparts. Another critical aspect of this will be a widening performance gap between real estate professionals who choose to embrace, capitalize and integrate the benefits of real estate website technology and those who choose not too.  By all accounts, this gap will become more apparent through this and coming years. 

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