From Mouse to House
"Half of all homebuyers do part or all of their initial research on the Web," says Cassandra Bontley, vice president of CyberSunshine (www.cybersunshine.com), a Naples-based technical development company that helps realtors and others in the industry establish a presence on the Internet. New technology has now made it possible for savvy agents to tap into the multiple listing service, a regional information bank that includes a complete inventory of homes for sale and a history of recent sales.
Bontley and her fiancé recently purchased a home after exploring options on the Web. They discovered those listed first by search engines were often the most committed to customer service. "The sites that were easiest to use and gave the most information are the ones that really wanted the business," Bontley says. "They aren't playing games. They don't hide the address, the square footage and so on. They respect your anonymity at the start."
Buyers may begin their Internet search in a variety of ways-choosing a location for their new home, by working with a realtor or by pre-qualifying for a mortgage.
Researching locations in Southwest Florida is easy. Most communities have a Web site with links to government, school and chamber of commerce sites. Not only can prospective buyers find out how many residents live in a city; they can also learn more about the best schools in the area, coming performances and concerts, even weather forecasts and shopping information. For existing homes, they can also research previous sales history and tax information by visiting the property appraiser's office sites (www.ccappraiser.com for Sarasota" target="_blank">Charlotte County; www.collierappraiser.com for Collier County; and www.leepa.org for Lee County). Of course, there's no substitute for a personal visit, but a little advance homework via the Internet can help buyers plan future home-hunting visits.
The Lee Island Coast's award-winning site (www.LeeIsland Coast.com) is an online information warehouse. As the official tourism site for Lee County, it gets thousands of visitors every month. People coming to southwest Florida can find out about the various communities in the area and get information on everything from the area's chambers of commerce to places to stay while house-hunting. While the Lee Island Coast's site is particularly good, sites for other communities and counties in southwest Florida also are useful.
Mortgages have become much easier to find via the Net. Banks and mortgage brokers feature Web sites with online applications to make getting an answer easier-and faster-than ever. To reach AmSouth Bank's first computerized banking system in the mid-1990s, customers dialed the business's central computer and connected directly, modem-to-modem, says Danny Morgan, the bank's Fort Myers president. AmSouth has now been online for five years and offers a newly updated Internet mortgage resource center, featuring online applications and several analyzers that can help potential customers determine how large a mortgage they can afford.
Executives with WCI Communities, the Bonita Springs developer that has created 35 master-planned communities throughout Florida, say prospective buyers generally don't find their homes on the Net. But with nearly half of all WCI buyers coming from outside the state, most-80 percent-visit the Web site (www.wcicommunities.com) during the homebuying process, says Steve Danco, vice president of database marketing.
"The most important thing the Web site has done for us is help people narrow their choices," says Mike Curtin, senior vice president of marketing and sales for WCI. "They get very well educated before their trip. They often have preconceived ideas of what they are looking for and which of our communities will be right for them."
The Internet has also simplified the home-building process, particularly for absentee owners. Custom clients of London Bay Homes, a Naples-based builder, can log onto the company's Web site (www.londonbay.com), enter a password and view photographs of their home as it's being built. The site also serves as an information source for prospective buyers, with photo galleries and streaming video tours of model homes and relocation information about Southwest Florida, says spokeswoman Patricia Wyche.
The Internet has allowed the Lutgert Cos. in Naples to enhance customer service with external sites marketing individual developments to potential buyers and offers customization for new owners, quality control, construction management and even a community Intranet for residents. Clients who buy a condo in one of Lutgert's towers are given secure access to a site where they or their designer can select everything from paint color to plumbing fixtures. Change orders take minutes instead of days. Once a new unit is completed and inspectors are satisfied, the homeowner walks through. The final 10 orientations at Estancia, Lutgert's newest high-rise in Bonita Bay, went off without a hitch.
Search engines and Web sites, such as www.TownRealty.com, help buyers find a realtor. While a buyer can use a search engine to locate a realtor in a new area, they may not be sure of the realtor's experience with the type of home they want. TownRealty pairs prospective buyers with agents experienced with the type of residence they plan to purchase. "Our service is personalized for the buyer who doesn't have the time or knowledge to find the right realtor," says Richard Perry, president of the Acton, Mass.-based company and a regular Marco Island visitor. "You could waste a lot of time searching the Web, not knowing the best resources."
TownRealty's placement manager matches clients with real estate agents by working with agency managers in towns all over the country. Clients looking for a condo on Marco Island would be paired with an agent who's sold condos on the island, says Perry.
Finding a broker is key because listings-even those on the Internet-can out date quickly, Perry says, and the right agent can help buyers find what they're looking for quickly.
They said the Internet would change everything and it has. For homebuyers, it just may well be a first introduction to their new place in the sun.