Real estate can be an excellent, lucrative investment—if you know what you are doing. However, misleading information is abundant in the real estate market, and learning can be overwhelming.
If you want to understand more about your local real estate as a buyer or agent, these tips can help you get acquainted quickly with your local marketplace. Try these expert tips to expand your knowledge and improve your overall experience with local real estate, no matter where you are.
Invest in Trustworthy Sources
Much of what you see on television or in advertisements about local homes comes from biased sources. Finding news or digital sources of information can help you learn about the market, but you need to ensure that they are trustworthy and provide factual information.
So how do you verify the source’s credibility? Check out these items:
- Who produced the information? Does the source have anything to gain from influencing your opinion about specific properties?
- Is there evidence to back up the validity of this source? What are their credentials?
- How long have they been in this community and this market?
For example, suppose you’ve recently relocated to Singapore. You may know nothing about the market. Your best bet is to find blogs or digital resources about the local market, like SG Property For You. You want to be sure you hear from someone who did not get paid to promote any agenda.
Local resources can be valuable. They can bring new and relevant information to your attention so that you can cut down on your research time. Subscribe to an email newsletter or read from a trusted reviewer. Whatever sources you find can help you expand your knowledge of real estate in the area.
Research the Statistics
Sometimes, the best testament to the local real estate market is the data. The numbers and statistics over the years can provide vital evidence that can help you pinpoint the most valuable properties in the area. On the flip side, this data can also help point a finger toward problems that may arise with other properties. It means that you can make more profitable and stable investments.
Data on a property’s history is available in public records, news sources, and elsewhere. Be sure to pay mind to what source you get your statistics from to ensure you are getting facts and unbiased research.
Get Out in the Field
You can glean a lot of information through research. However, getting out and experiencing the real estate in person is crucial to understanding the market.
There are many ways to experience the local market first hand, including:
- Driving through neighborhoods
- Calling local agents
- Going to showings
Getting around town can also help you get to know the community, which can be great for networking and making connections.
Don’t Undervalue Networking
Networking is essential to understanding the complexities of your local real estate. If you want the best and most timely and accurate information, it helps to have good connections. Those connections can also translate into more leads on properties or clients.
Whoever you are and whatever you are looking for in the real estate market, networking is essential to your success. The best ways to network in local real estate include:
- Attending community networking or other professional events
- Utilizing social media and social networking sites to publicize your brand and/or connect
- Finding out where the buyers are (buyer seminars, housing events, etc.)
The Bottom Line
When you are hoping to learn the landscape of a complex market like real estate, there are many ways to approach it. Try some tips from above to energize your pursuits and elevate your understanding of the market.
