Real Estate Data API Can Help Agents Harness The Power Of “New” To Attract Clients

Here we are in a new year and one strategy to consider is the use of a Real Estate Data API to add something new to your website.

Real estate and mortgage experts predict this is going to be a tough year, at least for the first half or so. (See our recent forecast blog).

But you can use the power of “new” as one of your strategies to garner an edge in the marketplace.

Here’s one reason why.

Humans are hard-wired to be on the lookout for something new.

Researchers actually placed volunteers for a study in an MRI to measure their brain activity. When those subjects chose something new, the scans showed their brains lit up, literally.

Experts believe that dopamine, the neurons that make us happy, are more active when they see something new.

That’s the positive power of new.

Don’t just say new for newness sake

But the concept of newness also has a trap attached to it.

It’s called the “fallacy of novelty.”

Just because a company says they are offering something new, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s better.

Remember “New Coke?” Those folks probably wince every time that failed strategy is discussed in marketing classes on college campuses. It’s a “classic” example of what not to do.

Here’s the other big point in regard to the power of new.

It’s smart to bring something better to the table.

Real Estate Data API can provide “power” content

For brokers and agents, one very simple way to add something new to your website is to work with national real estate data providers such as Home Junction.

These data providers have the sources and the technology to gather, sort and disseminate massive amounts of real estate relevant data.

Information that home buyers and sellers want to see.

For example:

• • School data
  • School attendance zones
  • Recent property sales
  • Trends in home prices
  • Neighborhood demographics
  • Cost of Living research
  • Crime statistics
  • Boundaries such as municipal taxing districts

Another popular product to consider adding is a Home Valuation Plugin. This home estimator tool is super-popular with consumers. Just ask the folks at the mega real estate portal that rhymes with “pillow.”

The process is relatively simple. All you need to do is add a few snippets of code in the form of a Real Estate Data API (Applied Programming Interface). Those bits of code then allow an agent to tap into a storehouse of valuable hyper-local data.

That data can apply to the county, zip code or even down to the neighborhood or subdivision level.

Adding a new Real Estate Data API to your website would be adding a new feature with substance. This information has a real impact on the decisions people will make in regard to buying and selling a property.

This is “new” information people will look for online. They are going to find it one way or another. They might find it on a competitor’s website or they might find it on a national real estate portal.

Either way, an agent runs the risk of being ignored if they don’t provide this valuable content.

Property data gives you substance for social media

Tapping into a Real Estate Data API also provides another benefit regarding the power of “new.”

With a data feed from companies such as Home Junction, brokers and agents will constantly have fresh content they can promote in the marketplace.

Send out an email blast showing a link to a chart on your website with the latest trends in property sales.

Get specific. Don’t just send out a link for a chart on county activity, but send one out specifically for the neighborhoods you are farming.

Do the same on social media. The competition on social media for people’s attention is intense.

In a recent survey by Realtor.com, 90% of agents say they plan to use social media to promote themselves.

That’s a lot of clutter. How are you going to separate yourself from the others?

Showing news about the direction of home sales or prices is one way.

Another is announcing that consumers can now get the answer to “What is my home worth?” on your website.

(Speaking of new, every time a home owner checks out the guesstimate on their home, they will see a new figure and new market data. Very powerful).

Sure, many business people understand the power of new. They might redesign their website to make it look fresher or more organized. They might redesign their logo to make it look more contemporary.

But if you are really going to go through the trouble of creating something new, make sure it has meaning and value to the audience you are targeting.

Humans are hard-wired for newness. It’s a powerful magnet to attract attention.

Start the new year off with a substantive, beneficial hyper-local Real Estate Data API that helps you utilize that power.