A new owners.com survey found that homebuyers are looking for their real estate agents to use more tech-based tools. The survey sampled over 1,000 homeowners, which they define as “those who purchased a home within the last four years” across America.

Over 83 percent of recent buyers worked with a real estate agent to purchase their home, but consumers, specifically 36 percent, want to see a more proactive technological approach from their agent.

What Technology Buyers Want from Agent

“With tight housing inventory in many markets, home buyers have become even savvier in their research and how they work with their agent,” said Dario Cardile, vice president of growth marketing at Owners.com. “With technology and mobile applications having revolutionized other industries, home buyers are now seeking brokers that keep them more organized and efficient with cutting-edge technology and tools and make their home search even easier.”

Home buyers want technological opportunities offered by real estate agents to help them stay organized and save time in the buying process. Of those surveyed: 

• 46 percent want their agents to keep track of appointments, viewings and follow-ups in one location
• 42 percent want the option to schedule viewings online
• 30 percent want communication primarily through a mobile app

What Information Buyers Want from Their Agent

With the use of technology, homebuyers are becoming more informed and researching information on their own. Sixty-two percent of recent buyers conducted their own property search online once a day to help inform their search and decisions.

“In recent years, the real estate industry has made data and information more readily available to consumers, which in turn has made them more knowledgeable going into the home buying process,” said Daniel Maloney, head of national sales at Owners.com. “However, it’s clear that home buyers still value the on-the-ground expertise and guidance that a local real estate agent can provide, particularly in a competitive market where consumers need to move faster than ever to get into a home.”

Even though home buyers are more informed with technology, they still look to their realtors for information. Survey participants ranked the following data as what influences their decision to buy a home:

• 42 percent noted lifestyle data as influential. Lifestyle data includes information on communities, demographics, crime rates, schools and walkability scores
• 32 percent noted home appreciation/depreciation and local home market as influential information
• 26 percent wanted to know historical property data, like property tax, former sales and foreclosure

When it comes to what home buyers want from their real estate agents knowledge, survey participants looked for the following:

• 67 percent want to know about the physical integrity of the house
• 59 percent want insight into the local community
• 44 percent look for information on property boundaries and building restrictions.