With the internet making the real estate market more accessible than ever, many property owners have decided to sell their own properties, cutting out agents entirely. Here are a few tips to avoid this trend.

• Grow your web presence. By having an active online presence, you substantially increase the odds of these sellers coming to you for advice. Once you have opened dialogue with them, you can explain the benefits of a professional agent.





• Do your research. Search online for properties being sold directly by owners and approach them with your pitch. There are many online directories now that make it extremely easy to find potential clients struggling to unload properties. Keep an eye out for properties that have been re-listed on a website many times, as these clients may be more willing to accept some help.





• Be transparent, trustworthy, and candid. Sellers are more skeptical than ever, and a large majority of them choose to sell their own properties not because of the actual costs, but because they don’t trust the agent to act in their own interests. By being honest and upfront with the facts, you can put these fears to rest.





• Embrace new technology. When the tourism industry met the Internet, many travel agents and tour planners went out of business. However, other travel agents and tour planners became overnight millionaires. The difference between those who failed and succeeded was adaptation. Keep abuzz of the latest technical trends and use it to reach your audience.

The key to winning is always knowing your competition. The Internet does not need to be the death of the real estate agent, but rather can be an effective tool for making the real estate agent more efficient than ever. By studying seller habits and the Internet real estate market you can leverage this new technology for even more revenue.

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