Nearly one in eight higher income consumers said social media influenced their choice of real estate services, the highest of all media types, according to the Summer 2009 Ad-ology Media Influence on Consumer Choice survey.

Of online, social, and traditional media, online media had the most influence across all demographics.  Real estate agency Web sites were the most influential online media. The lucrative 25-to-34 age group was noticeably more influenced by video than other age groups.

Fees are the most important factor for consumers selecting real estate services, followed by real estate office and real estate agent reputation.

“Relationships and reputations – both online and offline – are so crucial in real estate,” said C. Lee Smith, president and CEO of Ad-ology Research.  “Agents who may be ignoring social media need to realize it’s a great way to establish their name and build relationships in the marketplace, and especially with these higher income consumers,” Smith said.

Other key findings:

• Newspapers and television were the most influential traditional media
• Convenience was important for 18-to-24 year olds: online listings and office location were the top factors
• Positive comments influenced 12.2% of 25 to 34 year olds

The Media Influence on Consumer Choice survey is conducted throughout the year by Ad-ology Research to study online, traditional, and social media influence on buying decisions.

Media Influence on Consumer Choice: Real Estate is available for purchase and immediate download through Ad-ology.com.  The report includes 24 data charts, consumer-spending estimates by market, and additional marketing insights.

About Ad-ology Research

Ad-ology Research analyzes key marketing and advertising trends in over 440 industries and what motivates end-customers.  The company’s research is used by over 2,000 advertising agencies, media properties and product marketing departments across the United States.  Ad-ology Research is a division of Sales Development Services (SDS), Inc. – a Westerville, Ohio firm founded in 1989.
Methodology

Ad-ology Research surveyed an online consumer panel of 1,154 adults in a manner that is 98% representative of the adult population of the United States from July 17-18, 2009. The margin of error for this survey is +/- 2.9 percentage points.

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