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Real Estate Data Providers Can Give Your Website Tools It Needs To Compete In 2019. What It Takes To Innovate.

real estate data providers

Real estate data providers can help brokers and agents looking to innovate and take their company to the next level in becoming a true resource for home buyers and shoppers.

The challenge for most companies however, is are they open to change?

In this day and age, CEOs and managers are reaching out for help in fast-rising numbers. They’re not generating the revenue, forecasts are fuzzy, their people are leaving – what is going on?

In 2009, researcher Steve McKee published a study where he found 41.2% of nearly 5,700 companies stalled in the previous decade.

In any industry, stagnation is subject to happen for one well-known reason: resistance to change.

The real estate business is no different.

When you take an industry like this, which has changed little over the past decades, and attempt to keep doing business the same old ways, it’s no surprise that some firms are starting to struggle.

Let’s talk about our natural resistance to change, and how we can turn it around to our advantage in the real estate business.

According to a recent article in Forbes, stalled growth in industry leaders is popping up more and more frequently since the 2008 recession.

Leaders are failing to take the bull by the horns and adapt, all the while wishing and hoping for the old ways of business to come back into style again. (Think Sears, Toy R Us, Sports Authority, etc.).

They are fearful of taking the risks inherent in trying new methods and ideas. And as human beings, they are driven by one of our most powerful, primal, wired instincts: force of habit.

Science proves it: it’s our fault

It’s not that we’re lazy, or stupid.

It’s that, as humans, our brains are wired to work a certain way. Our brains actually hate change to the point of pain, because the prefrontal cortex works hard to navigate unfamiliar information.

Since 25% of our body’s energy goes toward brain function, it’s no wonder that we can start feeling tired and “shut down” when attempting to study something new or develop a new habit.

The brain is so powerful that it creates a “roadmap” of your habits. This allows you to move more efficiently and quickly through tasks without having to stop and think about what you are doing.

Hijacking this map to see something through a fresh perspective, or deviate from the norm is difficult unless we consciously choose to do so.

How to change your brain’s roadmap

Is it even possible to change that mental map, training yourself to open up to innovation and risk taking?

Science says yes. Once you have made the conscious choice to change, you must now act accordingly.

We also know that, while you can listen to gurus and read self-help books all you want, the only true way to change is through experiential learning.

There are some simple strategies you can use to get started.

According to the Forbes article they are:

  1. Get out of the office and explore what’s out there
  2. Plan to be a company that constantly seeks to innovate

You must see things with your eyes, touch things with your hands, and feel things with your heart – that’s how you can make the greatest impact on your brain’s ingrained roadways.

There are plenty of real estate technology companies out there with exciting new products.

Have you talked to them? Tried out their platforms? Asked for demonstrations?

Do you have time scheduled to stay abreast of new technologies that are emerging?

Innovation in your industry

All CEOs and managers like to think that they are “innovative” within their firms.

Are they really?

What are you doing in real life to bring about innovation in the real estate industry?

Are you utilizing the power of technology to set yourself apart?

Did you know that by using local real estate data tools on your website, you are already head and shoulders above the competition that is stuck in the past?

If Suzy down the street is still relying on postcards and gift baskets to drum up business, while your potential clients can have their need for information satisfied in a couple clicks on your website, in five years we will see who is still around, and thriving.

Real estate data providers do all the heavy lifting

Technology plays a starring role in the future in general, including in the real estate industry.

Fortunately, in this day and age, brokers and agents don’t have to go out and find sources of local data for themselves.

They also don’t have to find a way to integrate that local data on their website.

And this is very important, they don’t have to find a local programmer to custom code a website to provide new features. Those projects can be time-consuming, frequently over budget and a nightmare to manage.

Today, there are real estate data providers such as Home Junction that do all that work for agents.

They have the technology to gather hyper-local data such as school information, recent home sales, pricing trends, boundaries, demographics and other key information that home shoppers want to see.

Not only do they gather the data. These real estate data providers also have developers to write the coding that makes it super-easy for a broker or agent to disseminate that data wherever they want on their websites.

A real estate company can use a Real Estate Data API or simply a plug-in (a few snippets of code) to instantly add any type of data to their pages.

Why let a potential client do all the legwork of determining the best school districts, the pricing trends in their neighborhood, sales comparisons between desirable neighborhoods, and neighborhood demographics on their own? (Hint: they really don’t want to do all this work).

Or why let them go to a national real estate portal to find this information? (And let them be someone else’s lead). Or let a local agent with this data start gaining more market share as THE hyper-local resource?

Working with a real estate data provider, you can quickly add your own data and home estimator tools that give you the power to disseminate this information through your website, your blog, your newsletter, your social media channels, and give the people what they want.

The takeaway?

Don’t allow yourself to fall into the brain traps that keep you comfortable, safe – and never growing or thriving.

Don’t make excuses like “I’m too old to learn technology.”

The great advantage today, is that you don’t need to.

There are real estate data providers out there today with a full suite of programs you can use to upgrade your website.

Today, innovation is one way to become successful (and survive) whether in the real estate industry or any other.

You can harness the power of technology to stay on top of the wave and keep up with the times (and competition).

The big question you need to ask yourself is: are you willing to innovate?

Real Estate Data Providers That Include Mapping Tools To Promote Value Of Amenities

real estate data providers

Be sure to find real estate data providers that also use mapping tools to help agents display local amenities that boost home values.

Real estate data providers such as Home Junction can provide much more than just facts and figures.

They can also tie all that data into something that touches home buyers emotionally (and owners looking to sell).

We’re talking about neighborhood amenities.

As a successful real estate agent, you need hyper-local real estate market data such as the number of homes sales, and pricing trends.

However, what about how local amenities can raise the value of a home? A quick study of your area can help you get an idea of pricing according to the types of businesses and other features in that area. Work with real estate providers that can supply you with this key information and help you display it visually.

These five types of local amenities have been proven to cause an increase in the value of properties.

Real estate data providers need to show value of amenities

It may seem hard to believe, but according to a recent University of Chicago study, living within half a mile to one mile of a Walmart Supercenter can raise the value of a home by 1% to 3%.

Other stores which offer the convenience and selection desired by the population might include brands such as Target and Whole Foods Market.

A nice brand new kitchen is always marketable. But if that’s not the case, the next best thing is a nice supermarket nearby. Most buyers prefer to be able to meet their shopping needs as close to home as possible, driving up prices in these desirable areas.

Walking access

Walkability is a big one when it comes to house values. If you can walk to your favorite park, store, restaurant, or school from your home, your property value could be $4,000-$34,000 higher than average.

However, since walkable areas like this are typically in downtown/urban neighborhoods, you do have to take that into account when looking at property values, as these areas are already going to be more expensive.

“Bikeability” is a similar factor as more Americans than ever are riding their bikes around town. More and more cities are investing millions in improving their bicycle infrastructure and building safe bike lanes.

To give you one example, in one area an average house price in a walkable area is $230,000. While an average house price 15 minutes away by car is $160,000.

This information is crucial for sellers who want top dollar for their property. Information from a reliable real estate data provider can help you justify the prices they desire.

Parks and  natural areas boost value

Parks, green spaces, and other outdoor oases can raise property values by as much as 20%. House Logic cited a study of over 16,000 property sales in Portland, Oregon that proximity to a golf course raised prices by over $8,000, while proximity to specialty parks and natural areas raised prices by $5,000-$10,000.

A report from the University of Washington indicated that a home adjacent to a park could realize a 20% increase in values. Within a quarter-mile, add 10%.

The human mind and body naturally thrive best outside of the concrete jungle, and many families with children see parks and green spaces as a big draw. So it’s no surprise that these amenities raise nearby property values by such a margin.

Sporting arenas in your city, especially for professional teams, can do a lot of great things for the health, vibrancy, and economy of the area – including boosting the value of homes nearby.

In fact, homes within a couple miles of a professional athletic stadium tend to increase in value by over $2,000. Construction of a new stadium can be a double-edged sword, however: the noise and traffic restrictions can cause values to go down temporarily until all is complete.

Additional buildings

The amenity boasting the biggest effect on your property value might be in your own backyard: an additional building. This could include a mother-in-law apartment, a guest house, a pool house, or something similar.

In some of the more popular and desirable parts of the country, one of these additional buildings can raise your property value by a whopping 40% or more.

Buyers should consider the fact that an additional building could provide a built-in stream of income by renting it out, as well as massive resale value down the road.

Bonus feature: mature trees

The presence of trees may seem like such a small detail, but when you dig into the numbers you may be surprised to see just how much of an impact they can have on the value of a house.

Having mature trees in the backyard can increase the house value by 2%, while having them in the front can cause a 3%-5%. If the house is in a desirable, higher-income neighborhood, this could even increase to 10% to 15%.

Past, present, and future house values are important for you to know as you help guide buyers and sellers through this process.

With the latest real estate market data, agents can show how these amenities are affecting values in any neighhorhood.

Real estate mapping tools integrate amenities with listings

If your listing has great amenities, show them off. Experienced real estate data providers such as Home Junction also provide real estate mapping tools that can tie in MLS listings with local amenities.

Don’t just tell buyers there’s a great shopping center down the street or a 40-acre park. Show them. Using geo-coding technology from Home Junction that can display a list of amenities near a property.

Or, with its SpatialMatch plugin and real estate mapping tools, an agent can actually show the listing on a map and then point out the amenities on that same map as well.

Imagine how a golfer’s eyes will light up when they see Ye Old Duffer’s Club just a mile away. Or how a coffee aficionado will start to salivate when they see a Starbucks right around the corner.

Amenities boost values.

Find real estate data providers with real estate mapping tools and property data who can help you walk a client through a pricing discussion based on proximity to amenities such as shopping, restaurants, schools, and yes, even Mother Nature.

Real Estate Data Providers Can Make A Big Difference With Difficult Homes

messy houseReal estate data providers can be a real lifesaver when it comes to prepping a home for sale, especially when a seller is strapped for cash or not the tidiest.

Sure, every broker and agent would love to see a seller upgrade that ancient kitchen.

Or, for a homeowner to remodel an ugly bathroom.

But how willing are sellers to dish out the money for upgrades?

Also factor in today’s marketplace, where it’s hard to find a reliable contractor.

Who charges reasonable prices. And happens to be available during the right time frame.

Normal prep costs, such as painting and minor repairs, can run into the thousands. About $3800 in most markets.

But what about major improvements?

According to a recent article in Realtor.com, the national average cost to remodel a kitchen is $20,000.

To upgrade a bathroom, a seller will have to spend $9,000 on average.

A new roof? Expect to pay $20,000 on average.

Replace the floors with wood floors – $4,000. Laminate floors will be about half that cost.

Not too many sellers are eager to part with that kind of money. They expect the agent instead, to perform miracles.

So what can an agent do when they have a home with a kitchen from 1950, a crummy bathroom, worn out floors or a leaking room?

One strategy is to turn to real estate data providers such as Home Junction.

Real estate data providers offer a different view of a property

Because while the home might not be in the best shape, the real estate market data tied into that property could be the catalyst that turns that old horse into a Preakness winner.

Home Junction is an aggregator of millions of bits of data that is all relevant to the purchase of a property.

The company has gathered detailed, in-depth information from a number of sources to create detailed, in-depth datasets about properties, neighborhoods and schools.

Say for example, Mr. and Mrs. Lazy Homeowner don’t want to bother fixing the shutters hanging sideways near the front windows.

Or, they don’t really want to clean the rug in the living room with all the wine stains.

They use the bathrooms every day to get ready for work. Why should they clean them for an open house?

When an agent takes a potential buyer to a property like this, they know they have a challenge.

But that’s where the real estate data providers can be a lifesaver.

Sure, Mr. and Mrs. Reluctant Homebuyers, this house does need work.

But, have you seen the latest chart on my website for Recent Home Sales. They are trending up. Like Space X rocket trajectory upward. You might reconsider.

Yes, the house is not pretty.

The agent knows the young couple have a young child with one more on the way.

But if you check the school data on my website (provided by Home Junction’s proprietary school data API coding), you will see that Charming Middle School down the street is a top-rated school with a fantastic ratio of students to teachers.

Back at his or her office, the agent is able to show the couple the demographics of that particular neighborhood.

The information (provided by Home Junction’s real estate data API) shows this particular neighborhood has lots of young families with children. Plenty of friends for their children to play with. Plenty of moms and dads to meet at the local park.

Check out the Home Value Estimator on the agent’s website. The results show that particular home is in the lower 20% range when it comes to price per square foot. If you want to live in this neighborhood with those great schools, this house is a bargain.

Agents don’t control condition of the home, but can control the data picture

As agents know, the home buying experience is an emotional one. If a couple walks into a home and sees walls marked by crayons, a towel rack barely hanging from the bathroom wall and a kitchen with puke-colored cabinets, it’s gonna be a tough sell.

But those items can be repaired. Those are cosmetic factors. Items an agent will try their best to get out of the minds of buyers.

Or, they might be talking to sellers who need to get out a home quickly or don’t have the funds to replace those ugly kitchen cabinets. Or maybe they are sellers, who tried their best, agreed to paint the walls, and the crayon marks still show through.

Those crayon marks are only a small part of the picture.

There’s a bigger picture out there. The picture you paint with the information you gathered from real estate data providers such as Home Junction and embedded on your website.

The numbers picture. And boundaries as well. All those datasets that come together to show this is a desirable property in a rising sales marketplace.

Priced below other homes that recently sold in this market. With a low crime rate. In the right school attendance zones. Located in an area with a low tax rate compared to other areas that are within city limits.

This data is so powerful, an agent could almost print it out and tape it over the crayon marks on the wall and say, “Which image is more important to you? Those red scribble marks or this chart showing property sales moving quickly in this community?”

There’s emotion and there are facts. When emotions are running in one direction, real estate market data can help counter those feelings and point them in another.

That’s why in this day and age, before you encounter your next Mr. Messy Homeowner,  it’s smart to get in touch with real estate data providers such as Home Junction.