I was wondering is it was still available, for sale/for rent?  I didn’t see a sign the front yard . . .

I must get that voicemail or phone call at least twice every week.  Typically the request is for a property that I had listed for sale or available for rent in the past but has long since sold or been rented.  I got a call on a house the other day that sold over 2 years ago?!?  If not that, then its a home listing that was very recently available on the market but has since gone pending and not yet updated on the 3rd party home search site.

I feel bad having to deliver that news because I know how frustrating it can be to spend a long time searching for the right home only to find out its no longer available.  Since most of the folks making these calls are doing all of the preliminary research online without the assistance of a Realtor, I imagine I’m not the only Austin Realtor delivering that information to them.

It wasn’t until last week that I realized that I shared some culpability in regards to that misinformation.  I’d set up a Trulia (agent) account a couple of years back that hosted my listings that were auto-uploaded from various listing syndication services.  However, at the time I was not diligent in keeping that information current.  I’d since created another Trulia account that I do maintain and keep as updated as possible.   So, many of my listings from a couple of years ago were still showing up as “active” in the Trulia system.  Partial fail on my part, partial fail on their part for allowing auto-syndication without keeping the information current.

However, my question remains – how many other Realtors in Austin are doing the same thing or have failed to keep their information current over time?  I’d venture to guess quite a few and that is why I receive these calls on a regular basis.

The point of this article is not to diminish the services that websites like Trulia and Zillow provide.  Up until recently, I hadn’t spent much time on either.  I saw them as a necessary tool to help promote my listing inventory to the large pool of prospective buyers who being their home search online.  It wasn’t until I had to play the role of homebuyer myself that I spent some time poking around those sites.  Both can be very helpful for anyone who is just beginning their home search and educating oneself on the market, there is no doubt about that.  I’m on the opinion that educated home buyers make the best decisions and I never discourage my clients from doing their own research.

That being said, for the main reason that I have already detailed in this article, when the time comes for you or a prospective buyer to move past the initial research phase and into the active search phase, I truly believe that its best to work with a Realtor in Austin.  A Realtor will be able to provide you with real-time information tailored to your specifications, directly from the Austin MLS system.  This will save you valuable time, energy and frustration.  At the very lease it can help supplement the research that you are already doing on your own.

If I can help you start to make meaningful progress with your Austin home search, click on the search button below and Ill be in touch very soon to get started.  Otherwise, your best bet it to make sure that you are searching with a system that pulls the most up to date information for directly from the Austin MLS.

Related posts:

1. From Renter to Austin Home Buyer
2. What are the Benefits of Home Ownership?