Dan Wood & The Open House Tour team are Whitby & Oshawa’s real estate leader. Visit us today at http://www.openhouse-tour.com/ to view all of our available listings.

1. Real Estate Trends
in 2012

2. Real Estate Trends in
2012
• As you search for homes for sale, consider the current
real estate trends. The trends can help buyers make
sound decisions about the purchase price of the home.
Negotiations are easier when buyers are informed and
understand how the latest trends will affect their prices.
Here are a few real estate trends that may affect the
home buying process:

3. How Real Estate Prices Have
Changed Over the Years
• Since World War II, real estate property values have
increased two to five percent, but in the past three to five
years, property values have declined. The price declines
began in 2007 and have declined as much as 39 percent
every year. The average decline is suspected to be
lower overall than the initial decline.

4. How Real Estate Prices Have
Changed Over the Years
• These price increases are indicative of the
economy. Even with the lower prices, many
people are still not able to purchase as many
houses as might be expected because the
economy is slower, and people cannot afford to
purchase homes. For those people with
disposable income, this represents a huge buying
opportunity. Numerous properties can be
purchased for discounted prices.

5. Lower Commission Rates
Since 2005
• Since 2005, the real estate commission rates have
changed from five to seven percent of the property’s
selling price. There is so much competition in the
real estate market with the number of licensed
agents that the average sales commission is
significantly lower than in previous history. The
average was approximately six percent.

6. Marketing Trends in Real Estate
• Over the years, real estate marketing trends have also
evolved. Not only are newspapers used to learn about
homes for sale but so are magazines and social media
tools like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Pinterest is
especially making a splash as people “pin” their favorite
homes on a Pinterest board.

7. Marketing Trends in Real Estate
• In fact, over 87 percent of home buyers in the United
States recently have used the Internet to find
information about homes and the home buying
process. According to the National Association of
Realtors (NAR), one-third of the buying public first
learned about their homes on the Internet.

8. Marketing Trends in Real Estate
• The Internet is the most popular marketing trend, but 62
percent information may also be provided from yard
signs, 85 percent from real estate agents and forty-eight
percent from open houses. Buyers received less
information from home builders, television, relocation
companies, and billboards.

9. Real Estate Trends and the
Government
• The government has also played a role in recent history.
Officials educate consumers about how competition can
improve the real estate brokerage services. Home sales
costs can be reduced by thousands of dollars by
participating in healthy competition.

10. Real Estate Trends and the
Government
• Because of the competition in some states, buyer’s
brokers may return as much as two-thirds of the
commission to customers. Some seller’s brokers allow
sellers to list homes on a Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
for only a few hundred dollars.

11. Preparing the Home to Sell
• Recent surveys have shown that over 50 percent of
agents were willing to price their homes competitively,
and 45 percent were willing to change the appearance of
homes to entice buyers to buy. Sellers are more willing
make repairs and de-clutter.

12. Preparing the Home to Sell
• When homes are de-personalized, the homes sell faster.
Over 78 percent of home buyers are willing to make
changes to influence sales and help buyers recognize
the true value of the home.

13. Further Information…
• Dan Wood & The Open House Tour team
are Whitby & Oshawa’s real estate leader.
Visit us today at
http://www.openhouse-tour.com/ to view
all of our available listings.