NAR Stats what sellers need and buyers want

Here are my sources. Thanks Darin and Christine.
Christine's Blog
Darin's Blog

Christine participated in a study and she shares the results of that in her blog Just the Facts Ma'am, Just the Facts.

Here are some interesting stats.

Most Difficult Tasks for Unrepresented Sellers:

Getting the right price . . . 11%
Understanding paperwork . . . 16%
Preparing/fixing up home for sale . . . 18%
Attracting potential buyers . . . 9%
Having enough time to devote to all aspects of the sale . . . 9%

It is not as easy as it seems. There are many things I would not do myself, my own root canal, my own taxes, my own auto maintenance, I will put heart surgery on this list too.

Actually, A few years I tried selling my own house, and that was tough as I was so emotionally attached. However I was successful because a cobroke bought the buyer and kept the "personal" out of the deal. So I would consider referring selling my own house to a top agent who is not so involved.

How about buyers?

What Repeat Buyers Want Most From Real Estate Professionals

Help you find the right house to purchase -53%
Help with price negotiations - 13%
Help with paperwork - 8%
Tell you what comparable homes are selling for - 11%
Help determining how much buyer can afford - 11%
Help find and arrange financing - 2%

The two ways that most buyers search for their home is from the Internet and through a real estate agent, meanwhile the newspaper came in below the use of the yard signs.

The Internet is a major tool for searching for homes and will become more so - that is a given. But, buyers will still need the one on one with an agent. More and more agents are advertising the home for sale with the address - which is a good thing. That helps the buyers know what area the home is in, how close the desired school is, where the buses and trains are in relation to the house. So, to me advertising with the address - is good.

Information Sources Used in Home Search

Real estate agent - 85%
Yard sign - 63%
Internet - 80%
Newspaper - 55%

Home book/magazine - 34%
Open house - 47%
Builders - 26%

Television - 11%
Relocation company - 5%

Powerful numbers! You can find the whole article and a lot of other great information at Christine's blog.

For me, these numbers just validated what I knew from conversations with Real Estate Professionals, Buyers and Sellers. It's nice to see it in black and white a % mark with it though. Thanks Christine!