Over recent years online portals have revolutionised the way house-hunters go about searching for properties for sale or rent. In the commercial sector too, property portals are increasingly recognised as the first port of call for buyers, tenants and investors looking for business accommodation. In a short space of time the platforms have changed the way transactions are initiated, connecting vendors and landlords with the market 24/7.
According to EstateAgentToday, 47% of UK residents have searched for property online in the past 12 months, with around 2.6 million people browsing the UK’s two leading domestic property portals at least once a day. Consequently, agents are increasingly directing their marketing strategies towards online platforms, where their listings will meet with greater exposure and generate more leads.
In other countries a similar pattern emerges, placing the development in the context of an increasingly global property market. International capital plays a huge role in today’s real estate market, with overseas investment in the core European and American markets a growing factor. In many prime locations, overseas ownership in both the residential and commercial sectors is now commonplace.
In London, for example, houses in districts such as Mayfair are viewed as international commodities, while over 50% of City of London office buildings are now in the hands of overseas investors. This trend points to the need for agents to think globally when it comes to marketing their listings, and international property portals provide the ideal platform for this opportunity.
International real estate portals, showcasing properties around the world to prospective buyers and tenants around the world, offer exposure to the widest possible market. Furthermore they do so in one place, removing the need for agents to list properties on any number of sites in any number of countries. This clearly saves time and is a far simpler process than uploading listings to multiple platforms.
By connecting agents with buyers, tenants, and property owners worldwide, international portals are best equipped to generate global interest in an agent’s listings. This applies whether the property is residential or commercial, whether it is for sale or rent and wherever it is located around the world. Regardless of whether the listing is for a house, a studio or an apartment, or if the listing is for a plot of land or a new construction, advertising on an international property portal makes sense in today’s market.
But it isn’t only property owners looking to sell or secure long-term tenants who can benefit from a global real estate network. There are always people seeking short-term arrangements, such as holiday rentals in sought after locations, and international portals can connect property owners to this market. They can also link building and service professionals with property owners, providing opportunities for the facilitation of renovation projects and the delivery of service requirements around the world.
Property portals have changed the way people interact with the real estate market, and this development has been hastened by the proliferation of smartphones and other devices. As this trend continues to grow, international portals offer agents access to the widest possible audience, placing their listings in the palms of potential buyers and tenants around the world.
