According to a company called LeadQual, 69 percent of home buyers who shopped for a home online selected the first agent they interview compared with only 9 percent of traditional buyers.

Another interesting fact I learned is that for every 10 times a home buyer or seller requests more information online from a real estate agent, only 5 agents respond, and only a third respond within 24 hours. There are technology companies (like LeadQual) that are structured to call back a buyer within minutes, and then stay on the line while the consumer is connected directly to an agent.

Now that’s the kind of speedy service Internet buyers want.

July 27, 2006.