CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® releases annual “Use of Technology Survey”

SAN JOSE – October 6, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Forty-six percent of California REALTORS® surveyed report they use some type of social networking Web site to stay on top of trends in their business, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (C.A.R.) annual “Use of Technology Survey,” released today at Tech Tuesday. The most popular social networking site among REALTORS® surveyed was LinkedIn (34 percent), followed by YouTube (13 percent) and MySpace (12 percent).

The results of the survey were presented today by C.A.R.’s Executive Vice President Joel Singer at the Opening Session for Tech Tuesday. Tech Tuesday provides a full day of comprehensive technology training and empowers REALTORS® to use technology effectively and efficiently to meet clients’ demands and thrive in today’s techno-driven marketplace.

REALTORS® also are enhancing their personal Web sites and the options made available to their clients. More than eight in 10 REALTORS® with a personal Web site include an e-mail “contact me” option (85 percent) or phone number/text feature (84 percent) on their Web sites. Seventy-eight percent include an IDX feed to display listings, while approximately half include features such as virtual tours (54 percent), links to individual listings (53 percent), and “Reasons to Use Me” (49 percent).

“In a time when clients demand both information and expertise from their real estate professionals, REALTORS® have responded to these demands by utilizing and integrating technology into their real estate business and the real estate transaction,” said C.A.R. President James Liptak. “With the top technology challenges in recent years for REALTORS® stemming from either keeping up with or reducing the amount of e-mail, many have managed to tackle those challenges head-on by integrating the tools necessary to be able to respond quicker and while out in the field.”

“At the same time, almost half of all REALTORS® surveyed said that their use of technology gives them a competitive edge over other agents (49 percent) or helps them respond quicker to clients (49 percent),” Liptak added.

From high-tech instruments such as handheld Internet devices used to respond to clients’ needs, to using social networking Web sites to communicate with their clients, REALTORS® are integrating enhanced communication into their business plans to better handle those challenges as well.

Additional highlights from C.A.R.’s 2009 “Use of Technology Survey” include:

• 55 percent of respondents said “I’m Always Connected” to the Internet for their real estate

business.

•  45 percent use a laptop or tablet computer in the field, up from 33 percent last year. Almost six in 10 of those who use their laptop in the field said the main reasons for doing so were to access e-mail (59 percent), or to conduct listing presentations (56 percent).

• 39 percent own a handheld wireless Internet device for their real estate business, up from 22 percent a year ago. When asked how they use this device for their business, 90 percent said they use it for e-mail and 76 percent said they use it to respond more quickly to clients.

•  In the last few years a growing number of REALTORS® turned to sites such as Zillow.com (72 percent, up from 68 percent in 2008), Craigslist.org (46 percent, up from 32 percent in 2008), and Yahoo! Real Estate (55 percent, up from 26 percent in 2008), to get information about real estate.

• Seven in 10 REALTORS® (70 percent) promote their listings on search engines and classified Web sites. The top Web sites used to promote listings included: Yahoo! Real Estate, 51 percent; newspaper Web sites, 37 percent; Zillow.com, 29 percent; and Craigslist.org, 26 percent.

• 55 percent of REALTORS®’ business on average originated from the Internet in 2009, compared with 48 percent in 2008, and 24 percent five years ago.

C.A.R.’s Use of Technology Survey was conducted in the third quarter of 2009. The purpose of the survey was to determine and track current trends in technology used by REALTORS®. The survey asked REALTORS® questions on topics ranging from their computer and technology usage to their Internet needs and usage within their real estate business.

Journalists who would like complimentary copies of the report should contact Mark Giberson at markg (at) car (dot) org or (213) 739-8304.

Leading the way…® in California real estate for more than 100 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® ( www.car.org ) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with more than 165,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.