One of the first things I learned in the study of marketing and advertising was the concept of 'fish where the fish are'.   In real estate, we have seen a huge paradigm shift from the old to new media.  In the past, homes were advertised in the local newspaper, home and land magazines, direct mail, etc.  Now that the Multiple Listing Service is accessible to the general public, buyers have shunned the old inefficient property search methods for highly effective Internet house hunting.  Why? Because newspaper display ads are not sortable, and few possess multiple photos.  Why look through a newspaper when you can customize your results and see homes plotted on interactive aerial maps, view multiple photos and virtual tours, and get instant notification of any new listings?  Newspaper, direct mail, and magazines also only update on a weekly basis and are often 10 days behind.  Most quality broker sites and real estate portals like Realtor.com update at least once per day.

So if you are hiring an agent who does not have a comprehensive online marketing capacity, you are likely to miss the market.  We at CataList have made a huge investment to provide massive online distribution to sites like Google, Craigslist, Trula.com, etc.  Also we purchase enhanced listings at Realtor.com and the LATimes.com to showcase our customers homes where the buyers are.  Ask your agent about their Internet marketing plan and compare it with ours before you list your home for sale.