Websites, Blogs and Social Media

As clients continue to increase their use of the Internet in real estate, the web presence of REALTORS® becomes even more important. Nearly two-thirds of all REALTORS® reported having a website. By function, appraisers were the least likely to indicate having a website; only 36 percent reported having one. Managers who do not sell were more likely to have a firm-provided website.

The use of blogs has steadily increased as a marketing tool for real estate agents. One in ten members reported having a real estate blog. In 2009, 7 percent of members reported having a blog. Among REALTORS®, blogs are most common among those aged 29, and nearly one in five members in this age group have a blog.

Social media is changing the way that all companies market, and real estate is no exception. Use of social media has increased sharply from 2009, only 35 percent of REALTORS® used social networking websites already, and 14 percent planned to do so in the future. The use of social networking sites is more common among younger age groups, although a still substantial one-third of members over the age of 60 use these sites.