Incorporate Technology Information in Your Listings
According to the PEW/INTERNET & AMERICAN LIFE PROJECT (http://www.pewinternet.org/) 55% of all Americans have broadband internet access at home. Of those, 54% say they subscribe to basic service. 29% subscribe to a premium service at a higher price and 16% say they do not know what type of broadband service they have.
What does this mean to us in the real estate world? Well for starters, home use of broadband internet access has increased in the past year by 17%. As more and more people incorporate internet usage into their daily lives, it becomes a standard of living rather than a luxury item.
We have had this happen with many technological advances over the years. I can think of at least 4 that we take for granted today. Electricity was only available in the cities in many places until the 1940's. Television was the big new luxury item of the 1950s and home telephone service covered the same eras. We went from exchanges with party lines & our own "rings" to private phone service for everyone including area and country codes. Washing machines, electric stoves & microwave ovens have increased our leisure time enormously. Where would all of us business people be without our cell phones?
Architects, developers and home designers are now incorporating network cabling into a home's design as well as using computers in every room of the house. As more and more cities and neighborhoods adopt the use of fiber optic cabling and networks, internet access speeds will continue to rise as will its usage and incorporation into our everyday lives.
We need to start incorporating internet availability into our listings just as we do any other desirable feature of a home. Buyers are now requiring the availability of fast internet access as a requirement when purchasing a new home. Here is a short list of what you need to know:
1. What type of internet access is available in the area?
2. What kind of access currently exists or is being used in the home?
3. Is the home already wired with Cat 5 (network) cabling?
4. If wired with Cat 5, how many ports exist in the home?
5. Does a central location already exist in the home to enable sharing of internet access & printing?
6. Does the current owner use a wireless network?
If the seller cannot answer these questions, then you will need to investigate to find out what types of broadband internet access is available in the area.
In the Daytona Beach metropolitan area we currently have:
Brighthouse cable (they offer several different levels of access)
BellSouth DSL (again, different levels of service)
ClearWire (more limited availability than the other 2)
Some communities & condos have cable TV included in maintenance fees or they have special service with Brighthouse. You will need to check with the Homeowners or Condo Association if the seller cannot answer the questions about internet access availability.
Brighthouse, BellSouth and ClearWire have websites where you can check on internet service. You should add these web links to the pages of your real estate website as a service to your buyers.
What does this mean to us in the real estate world? Well for starters, home use of broadband internet access has increased in the past year by 17%. As more and more people incorporate internet usage into their daily lives, it becomes a standard of living rather than a luxury item.We have had this happen with many technological advances over the years. I can think of at least 4 that we take for granted today. Electricity was only available in the cities in many places until the 1940's. Television was the big new luxury item of the 1950s and home telephone service covered the same eras. We went from exchanges with party lines & our own "rings" to private phone service for everyone including area and country codes. Washing machines, electric stoves & microwave ovens have increased our leisure time enormously. Where would all of us business people be without our cell phones?
Architects, developers and home designers are now incorporating network cabling into a home's design as well as using computers in every room of the house. As more and more cities and neighborhoods adopt the use of fiber optic cabling and networks, internet access speeds will continue to rise as will its usage and incorporation into our everyday lives.
We need to start incorporating internet availability into our listings just as we do any other desirable feature of a home. Buyers are now requiring the availability of fast internet access as a requirement when purchasing a new home. Here is a short list of what you need to know:
1. What type of internet access is available in the area?
2. What kind of access currently exists or is being used in the home?
3. Is the home already wired with Cat 5 (network) cabling?
4. If wired with Cat 5, how many ports exist in the home?
5. Does a central location already exist in the home to enable sharing of internet access & printing?
6. Does the current owner use a wireless network?
If the seller cannot answer these questions, then you will need to investigate to find out what types of broadband internet access is available in the area.
In the Daytona Beach metropolitan area we currently have:
Brighthouse cable (they offer several different levels of access)
BellSouth DSL (again, different levels of service)
ClearWire (more limited availability than the other 2)
Some communities & condos have cable TV included in maintenance fees or they have special service with Brighthouse. You will need to check with the Homeowners or Condo Association if the seller cannot answer the questions about internet access availability.
Brighthouse, BellSouth and ClearWire have websites where you can check on internet service. You should add these web links to the pages of your real estate website as a service to your buyers.
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