New Software May Track Your Moves On Real Estate Websites

(If you are considering buying a home, one of the first places to begin your search is on the Internet. )

The Internet has grown to be a tremendous tool for the real estate and mortgage industries, letting a potential buyer or borrower shop around from the comfort of their own home.

You can browse thousands of real estate listings that contain high-resolution pictures, colorful details and some that even contain virtual tours. This is a lot easier than tromping around various neighborhoods searching for your dream home.

But with all the benefits of using the Internet for your real estate and mortgage transactions, there are undoubtedly going to be some downsides. One of the major disadvantages to surfing the Internet for listings that has been cropping up lately, is unsolicited emails and calls from agents who track your every move on their websites.

Yes, you heard right, every time you click on a home for more details, an agent could be tracking your every move.

An October 1, 2006 article by Benjamin Brayfield of The Los Angeles Times, "Just surfing? Agents' sites may be looking at you too," looks into the growing phenomenon of software designed to track real estate websites.

If you once thought that surfing the Net for your listings was a great way to not be bothered by anyone looking to make a commission than think again, because those days are coming to an end.

"The customer service and sales software engineering company Livehelp.com is among providers of software that notify agents when you are on their websites, even if you don't give them any information. It tracks what pages you visit and how much time you spend on a site. The software also allows agents to launch real-time chat windows so they can contact you and 'offer help.'"

"In addition to software programs that automatically open pop-up windows and send unsolicited e-mails are others that kick in when a consumer enters his or her e-mail address on a website to view its information."

Any website that asks you to give a name, phone number or email address for its so-called "free services" could be a site that is tracking your activity. Once you type in any personal info, you could be bombarded with phone calls from agents demanding your business, even if you are just in the beginning stages of looking around.

According to analysts, of all the people visiting these sites, only 5 percent are actually ready to do something that day, and a whopping 95 percent are just browsing around, either for pricing, or just to get an idea of the current market.

Agents are utilizing software such as this in order to get an edge in an industry that is saturated with professionals. They just must realize that most of the people logging on these sites just want to get some ideas and do not want to be bothered.

The best thing to do to protect yourself from getting unwanted calls or emails from an agent after visiting a site is to never give away your personal information.

"The most effective thing an online consumer can do is watch out for websites that require a form to access its 'free' services. Also, choose the option in your Internet browser that will turn off pop-up screens."

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