Online search: Making us smarter

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The notion that the world’s knowledge is literally at your fingertips is very compelling and is very beguiling.”

—Vint Cerf, Internet pioneer

Terabytes of easily accessed data, always-on Internet connectivity, and lightning-fast search engines are profoundly changing the way people gather information. A decade back, searching for relevant information was not only difficult but also cumbersome. Internet has brought it all under one roof and technology has made it searchable.

The ease is extended to searches for real estate information. Unlike earlier, online portals offer the convenience of browsing properties anytime, anywhere. And, an indication of the pace at which it has grown within two years of its introduction in the country, are sites like 99acres.com that now have over 2 lakh residential and commercial properties listed.

But it is important to know the right source and how to optimally use information available. Through realty portals like 99acres.com, and indiaproperty.com one can buy, rent, sell and much more. The sites provide complete contact details of brokers and builders. Builders also post a virtual walk through and complete description of the property on the site. Therefore, the initial search may be done online. One may also set an alert for properties, while the portals send regular alerts on the property updates on the site. After shortlisting, you may find it judicious to surf the website of the builder and get an idea of the properties.

With extensive reach, real estate portals are a convenient medium to showcase your property to the world. Advertising on the medium is not only cost effective but measurable as well. Posting property details on the site for a year comes at a cost of one full page print ad in the newspaper and therefore the medium is very cost effective. Besides it also ensures targeted reach and one may also be able to eliminate the middleman fee.

You may also advertise on listing websites for space available for commercial rent out on Yellow Pages sites like yellowpages.co.in, Indialist.com.

Post in detail about your property on a blog. One can also host a free Blog on Blogger, Type Pad or Word Press.