There’s always been more than one way to buy or sell a home. But thanks to modern conveniences and strides in technology, you now have more ways than ever to pursue your unique real estate goals. Depending on your specific situation, some of these ways are better than others. If you’ve decided on a real estate move, one of the first choices you’ll need to make is whether to go with a more traditional local real estate office or to trust an online brokerage. Since JohnHart offers the security of a brick-and-mortar office with the conveniences of modern technology, we naturally wonder, “Why not both?” But understanding the differences between brick-and-mortar brokerages and purely digital firms can keep your decisions informed.
Location Matters (in More Ways Than One)
Local authority has become even more important (if that’s possible) in recent years. Therefore, online brokerages that rely purely on national data and algorithms have a serious handicap when stacked against real estate agents who have grown up in the communities they serve. It probably goes without saying that many of JohnHart’s agents live in the same neighborhoods where they sell homes. Community focus has always been central to our mission.
Likewise, each of our real estate office locations is strategically chosen with this local emphasis in mind. It allows us to easily identify the homes that are most likely to hit the market, develop a keener understanding of what sellers expect from offers, and creatively navigate the city’s competitive market. In this case, an online brokerage’s tools would be enough to point you in the right direction. But you won’t have the details you need to move confidently forward without meeting with a knowledgeable professional from a local real estate office.
Moving at the Speed of Real Estate
When you work with a brokerage that exists in a purely online capacity, it tends to pair you with an agent at random or assign you to a team of professionals. This can be an efficient enough process, as long as you know who to communicate with throughout each step of the process. However, Los Angeles has a particularly fast-paced market. This means you may need to make quick decisions to remain competitive. And this is where a number of strictly digital brokerages falter.
Compare this with a local real estate office where you’re paired with a specific professional who walks you through each step of the process while answering all of your questions in real time. Local agents are interested in building communities. Therefore, they’ll often regard your transaction as the start of a lifelong friendship – not just a number on the leaderboard.
The Long Reach of Technology
Of course, online brokerages excel by fully adopting the conveniences of modern technology. Web-based brokerages offer value through virtual tours, e-signing options, and mobile apps. But when buying or selling property, you’ll have to walk out your door at some point. And virtual staging and AI-assisted home hunts can’t quite match the value of a local expert interacting with you in the field.
It’s also worth noting that the advances of technology, including AI, aren’t exclusive to online brokerages. Brick-and-mortar firms offer many (if not all) of the same technological conveniences. The only difference is that they’re backed by actual local authorities who can turn their lifelong familiarity to your advantage. After all, convenience should never come at the price of service in matters as colossal as real estate.
The Responsiveness of a Local Real Estate Office
When working with strictly online brokerages, you run a significant risk of drawing an agent who is inexperienced with your local market. And this is a major setback when entering Los Angeles’s high-pressure environment. You’ll need an expert who can hold their own in a white-knuckle negotiation where local knowledge can spell the difference between success and returning to the drawing board.
Real-time market dynamics play a major role, too. And with that in mind, a local real estate office is more likely to provide the responsiveness you need to have a chance in a neighborhood where skyrocketing prices and multiple offers are simply par for the course. Can a real estate app write an offer that’s competitive enough? How does it respond to a counteroffer? We can’t say for certain. But we can add that our real estate agents are out there doing all of the above on a daily basis.
The Best of Both Worlds
It seems simple to draw a line down the middle and proclaim that a real estate office is still a superior choice to a strictly online brokerage. But it’s not that cut and dry. Rather, success often hinges on a conscientious blend of local expertise and technological efficiency. JohnHart manages to take the best of both worlds and tailor them to each valued client’s specific goal. It’s all about providing an indispensable client experience that breeds confidence in each step of the process. Take the first step by contacting one of our local agents now.
With a brand that says as much as JohnHart’s, Senior Copywriter Seth Styles never finds himself at a loss for words. Responsible for maintaining the voice of the company, he spends each day drafting marketing materials, blogs, bios, and agent resources that speak from the company’s collective mind and Hart… errr, heart.
Having spent over a decade in creative roles across a variety of industries, Seth brings with him vast experience in SEO practices, digital marketing, and all manner of professional writing with particular strength in blogging, content creation, and brand building. Gratitude, passion, and sincerity remain core tenets of his unwavering work ethic. The landscape of the industry changes daily, paralleling JohnHart’s efforts to {re}define real estate, but Seth works to maintain the company’s consistent message while offering both agents and clients a new echelon of service.
When not preserving the JohnHart essence in stirring copy, Seth puts his efforts into writing and illustrating an ongoing series entitled The Death of Romance. In addition, he adores spending quality time with his girlfriend and Romeo (his long-haired chihuahua mix), watching ‘70s and ‘80s horror movies, and reading (with a particular penchant for Victorian horror novels and authors Yukio Mishima and Bret Easton Ellis). He also occasionally records music as the vocalist and songwriter for his glam rock band, Peppermint Pumpkin.
