Reece & Nichols Realtors: Streamline real estate search using technology

March 25, 2011

When real estate agents like those at Reece & Nichols in Kansas City communicate with potential buyers and sellers, they are likely to use Internet technology and social media as well as face-to-face meetings. The Reece & Nichols website attracts more than 1 million user sessions a month.

Real estate customers now use tools such as Facebook, Craigslist, iPhone and iPad apps, and mobile messages to streamline the buying and selling process.

Jamie Goodfriend is a typical example. Goodfriend recently bought a home through Don Burns of Reece & Nichols’ Don Burns Group in Prairie Village. His search for a new home began with a face-to-face meeting with Burns, who told Goodfriend and his wife about HomeMatch, an online tool that allowed them to search the 6,000-plus area homes that were for sale at the time.

“That night, we concluded our visit with Don, went home and got online to register with this service,” Goodfriend said. “Afterwards we went out to grab a quick bite to eat and by the time we finished our meal, I had four new emails on my phone from HomeMatch.”

HomeMatch is a valuable tool for buyers, because it allows customers like Goodfriend to enter the price they want to pay, the features they desire and even the neighborhood or school district they prefer. They can also then save properties on their favorites. Buyers also get customized instant alerts when new properties are added or there are changes to saved listings. Sellers benefit because Reece & Nichols has more than 30,000 registered buyers at any time.

Using HomeMatch, the Goodfriends found a home after just two weeks of working with Burns and using HomeMatch.

“We felt HomeMatch really narrowed the selection down for us, getting us into our first home much quicker. This service allows you to spend less time researching and going through multiple homes, and it gives you more time to look at homes that are specific to what you are looking for, all from your own home and from the convenience of the computer,” Goodfriend said.

Both nationally and in Kansas City, technology is changing the way real estate transactions get done. Reece & Nichols CEO Jerry Reece said technology can help match buyers to sellers much more efficiently. Using tools like Facebook, Craigslist and iPhone apps, “we have the capacity to orchestrate a successful match in a more timely manner,” Reece said.

Reece & Nichols agents are using the company website and their own personal Reece & Nichols branded sites to share information with buyers and sellers. They also use technology to share reports on market trends which help agents and customers make better decisions. Buyers today want to see information about the quality of local schools, details about the neighborhood and sale prices of nearby properties.

Over the last few years, real estate agents and customers have been taking advantage of social media as well as websites. For example, with help from a Reece & Nichols agent, a seller who has listed a home could share pictures and listing details with his or her followers on Facebook and other sites. This expands the pool of potential buyers within the seller’s social network while ensuring the price and other details are correct. Agents also share information about open houses. More frequently, satisfied sellers will share comments about their experiences working with a particular real estate agent.

“In the spring, like right now, homes that are priced right sell quickly,” Reece said. “That makes it even more important to ensure our buyers have access to the largest pool of sellers, so they can zero in on their dream neighborhood, get instant updates on new properties and make sure information flows without any bottlenecks.”

One of the most popular ways buyers and sellers get information today is by using the mobile technology. Reece & Nichols’ mobile site is the fourth most widely used technology tool for the company’s Kansas City customers. In addition to getting updates like Goodfriend did in his home search, they can log into the mobile site to see saved properties.

“It’s all about matching buyers and sellers. The goal of the technology we use is to get more buyers for our sellers and more sellers for our buyers,” Reece said. “If they want to use their smartphone and iPad to keep in touch, we’ll make sure they have the latest app to make that happen.”

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