Home sellers, is your listing really clicking?

In the battle between online and brick-andmortar stores to capture consumers’ purchasing dollars, smart home sellers stake a flag in both camps.

Because buyers hop online and then decide to visit a home, the virtual and physical presentations should complement each other. That’s why stats on the “hits” or clicks a listing receives provide insight into the overall marketing message.

Homes listed with a realty firm typically land a spot on the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and the realty firm’s own site, as well as popular sites such as Zillow. Not all Multiple Listing Services provide data on hits, but agents say stats are often available from at least some of the sites listings land on.

According to hits observer Joan Kagan of New York City realty

Triplemint, “(Hits) are a lead indicator to the number of visitors who come to the property.”

Many agents report sharing hit stats with sellers to monitor the marketing:

Gleaning an accurate picture

Type of home, neighborhood, season and day of the week impact buyer activity, and agents make informed expectations on hits.

Tallying daily can be deceptive, notes James

Mcgrath of New York brokerage Yoreevo, who prefers weekly reports.

Diagnosing the causes of mismatch

If a “property is getting a lot of traffic online, but is not getting shown, some adjustment is needed,” says Robyn Flint, a specialist at homeinsurancerates.com and a southwest Virginia real estate agent. “Maybe the photos aren’t flattering.”

“Some listings may attract an unusually high number of hits, either because it gets press, or the listing seems to be priced very low for the size and the neighborhood,” adds Kagan.

On the other hand, “If people are clicking on it (a home listing), but they’re not requesting a showing,” says Mcgrath, it could indicate an overpriced home. “It is being displayed against homes that are actually worth that price and buyers prefer to see the nicer homes.”