Eighty-seven percent of home buyers used the Internet to search for

homes, up from 71 percent five years ago. Not only has the trend in

overall usage risen, but the percent of buyers who reported using the

Internet frequently increased from 42 percent in 2003 to 69 percent in

2008.

Home buyers who used the Internet to search are more likely to be

part of a married couple household (63 percent versus 52 percent). In

contrast, those who did not use the Internet are more likely to be

single.

Photos and information about properties for sale were the two

features ranked as very useful by more than 80 percent of buyers in the

home search.

Virtual tours were viewed as very useful by two-thirds of buyers.

Viewed as least useful was information about upcoming open houses and

information about recently sold properties.

For more on this subject, read The Internet and Pictures: Worth 1,000 Words?

Electronics Features