Question: How has the Internet changed how homes are bought and sold?

A: Some may say the intersection of Internet and real estate spells the end of real estate agents — like it did for travel agents. But a house is far more important (and expensive) to most people than a flight and hotel package.

Real estate isn’t something you can just figure out on your own based on search results. The search results are only a starting-off point.

The Internet has democratized the buying and selling process radically. It’s also accelerated the process, for sure. It allows you to look at properties far and wide any time of day. It allows you access to an enormous amount of market and sales data — whether the data you unearth is outdated, incomplete or plain wrong is something the Internet can’t tell you.

If anything, the intersection of the Internet and real estate has made it even more important to have experienced agents — those who have perspective and deep familiarity with your market and, most important, your needs — guiding you through this process. This is the kind of help that only good ol’ human agents can provide. Or at least that’s what the algorithm says.

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