What is consumer intent?

Key points about consumer intent in real estate:

It's about understanding motivations, not just demographics
Helps target the right audience and create relevant marketing
Improves lead quality and boosts conversion rates
Shapes how people search for and interact with real estate services

Types of consumer intent:

Informational (e.g., "How to buy a house")
Navigational (e.g., "Zillow home values")
Commercial (e.g., "Best real estate agents in [city]")
Transactional (e.g., "Schedule home viewing")

Aspect	Impact of Consumer Intent
Ad targeting	More precise audience selection
Content creation	Tailored to specific buyer needs
Lead scoring	Better prioritization of prospects
Conversion rates	Higher relevance leads to better results

Understanding consumer intent helps real estate pros connect with potential clients at the right time, with the right message. This is crucial in today's digital world, where buyers often research extensively before contacting an agent.

What is consumer intent in real estate?

Consumer intent in real estate is the driving force behind people's property searches and interactions with real estate services. It's the "why" that explains their actions on real estate websites, with agents, or when looking at listings.

Why does this matter? Because understanding consumer intent helps real estate pros:

Target their marketing better
Create content that clicks with potential buyers or sellers
Get better leads and close more deals

Take Zillow, for example. They get millions of visitors each month, each with their own reason for being there.

Types of real estate consumer intent

Here's a quick breakdown of the main types:

Intent Type	What It Means	Example
Informational	Just looking for info	How to buy a house
Navigational	Heading to a specific site	Zillow home values
Commercial	Comparing options	Best real estate agents in [city]
Transactional	Ready to act	Schedule home viewing

What shapes intent? Things like:

Big life changes (getting married, having kids, new job in a new city)
Money matters (better credit score, saved up for a down payment)
What's happening in the market (low interest rates, lots of houses for sale)

Real estate pros use this info to up their game. Zillow, for instance, has a fancy "likely-buyer propensity model" that predicts who's most likely to buy based on what they've done on the site before.

You always want to find the leads that you know are really likely to convert, and with Common Room, I can see that literally every day." - Gozie Nwachukwu, Head of Sales Development at Temporal

By focusing on high-intent users, real estate platforms and agents can:

Create products and AI tools for serious buyers
Make the experience more personal
Help guide users through the often confusing real estate process

Understanding consumer intent isn't just about spotting potential buyers or sellers. It's about knowing where they are in their journey and giving them what they need, when they need it.

Main parts of consumer intent

People search for properties for all sorts of reasons. Let's break it down:

Why people look for new digs

Moving up in the world (bigger place, nicer stuff)
Life throws a curveball (marriage, kids, new job)
Trying to make some cash (investment properties)
Want the latest and greatest (energy-efficient homes, cool features)

Fun fact: 8-10% of Americans pack up and move each year. That's a lot of boxes!

What makes people tick when house hunting

It's not just about the house. Here's what's on buyers' minds:

Money talks (market trends, interest rates, can I afford it?)
Personal stuff (got a raise? Baby on the way? New yoga obsession?)
Location, location, location (good schools, short commute, awesome coffee shop nearby)
Gut feeling (does it feel like "home"?)

Buying a home isn't just a transaction. It's about who you are, what you want, and how you feel." - Transactly Team

They nailed it. Buying a home is complicated!

The internet changed everything:

Year	Home searches starting online
2018	44%
2020	More (thanks, COVID)
Now	97%

These days, almost EVERYONE starts their home search online. Wild, right?

If you're in real estate, knowing this stuff helps you give buyers what they really want.

Intent vs. behavior in real estate

People often say one thing and do another in real estate. Let's look at this gap:

Intent vs. behavior: What's the difference?

Intent kicks off a home search. Behavior is what actually happens.

Intent	Behavior
I want to buy a home	Making an offer
I'd love to move downtown	Viewing downtown properties
I'm thinking of selling	Listing the house

The National Association of Realtors found 82% of sellers cited life events as their reason to sell. But how many followed through?

Turning thoughts into action

How can real estate pros help buyers act? Here are some ways:

1. Be quick

Don't wait to respond. Most agents take 9 tries to get a response. Be better than that.

2. Ask why

Find out the real reason for moving. New job? Baby on the way? This helps you tailor your approach.

3. Watch for signs

Look for online behavior that shows serious interest. Temporal found this led to 50% more meetings.

Using Common Room, I know immediately when someone posts a comment on LinkedIn or a question on a community forum." - Gozie Nwachukwu, Head of Sales Development at Temporal

4. Play the long game

Only 2% of leads buy right away. Most need months of follow-up.

5. Stay market-savvy

Keep up with trends. In June 2024, homes got 2.9 offers on average, down from 3.5 in 2023. This affects buyer behavior.

How to spot consumer intent

Spotting consumer intent in real estate is key for agents. Here's how to notice intent signals and use tools to help:

Ways to notice intent signals

Pre-approval status: Ask early if buyers are pre-approved for a mortgage.
Multiple showings: Serious buyers often want to see a property more than once.
Specific questions: Listen for detailed questions about costs, safety, and features.
Current living situation: Buyers selling their home or ending a lease soon may be more motivated.
Market knowledge: Serious buyers often know local prices and availability.
Follow-up communication: Buyers who reach out after a showing are showing interest.
Working with one agent: Committed buyers usually stick with one agent.

Tools for finding consumer intent

Real estate pros can use these tools to track consumer intent:

Tool Type	Purpose	Example
CRM Software	Manage leads, track interactions	Zurple
Lead Management	Categorize leads by intent	CRM platforms with labeling
Website Analytics	Track online behavior	Google Analytics
Email Marketing	Monitor listing engagement	Mailchimp, Constant Contact
Social Media Monitoring	Observe interactions on listings	Hootsuite, Sprout Social

Using CRM effectively:

CRMs are powerful for spotting intent. The NAR's 2022 Technology Survey found CRMs among the top three tools for quality leads.

To get the most from your CRM:

Label contacts by intent and engagement
Set up automated follow-ups for high-intent leads
Analyze reports to spot buyer behavior patterns

Using Common Room, I know immediately when someone posts a comment on LinkedIn or a question on a community forum." - Gozie Nwachukwu, Head of Sales Development at Temporal

This real-time monitoring helps you quickly spot and respond to potential buyers showing strong intent.

Using consumer intent to find leads

Real estate agents can use consumer intent data to find and nurture high-quality leads. Here's how:

Ways to use intent information

Segment leads in your CRM: Group contacts by intent and engagement. This helps you prioritize follow-ups.
Set up automated alerts: Get notified when leads show high-intent behaviors, like multiple property views.
Create targeted email campaigns: Develop emails for specific intents, like first-time homebuyers.
Monitor search behavior: Use tools to spot potential clients based on their search queries.
Analyze website interactions: Track how leads use your site, noting which pages they visit.

Customizing marketing based on intent

Intent Type	Marketing Approach	Example
Informational	Educational content	Local market blog posts
Navigational	Local search optimization	Neighborhood profiles
Commercial	Comparison tools	Property feature lists
Transactional	Clear calls-to-action	Schedule a Viewing" buttons

To make the most of intent data:

Craft personalized outreach: Use a lead's interests to tailor your messages. If they're looking at family homes, mention nearby schools.
Develop intent-based content: Create resources for specific concerns, like home staging guides or first-time buyer checklists.
Use retargeting ads: Show relevant properties to leads who've visited your website.
Implement chatbots: Add a chatbot to engage visitors 24/7 and capture lead information.
Offer virtual tours: For high-intent leads who can't visit in person, provide interactive virtual property tours.

By focusing on intent, you'll create a more efficient lead generation process. The goal? Reach out to potential clients at the right time with the right message.

People do not want to be sold to anymore. They want to choose a Realtor because they know and like them already.

This quote nails it. Build relationships through helpful, intent-based marketing instead of pushy sales tactics.

Problems with understanding intent

Real estate agents often struggle to grasp consumer intent. Let's look at some common issues and solutions:

Misreading intent signals

Agents make these mistakes when interpreting buyer intentions:

Thinking all online leads are ready to buy
Overlooking potential clients in the awareness stage
Misinterpreting property searches

Fixing intent-based lead problems

Here's how to improve your understanding of consumer intent:

1. Use a CRM system

Track and analyze lead behavior with tech. A good CRM offers:

Benefit	Impact
Lead organization	Better prioritization
Automated follow-ups	Timely communication
Data analysis	Improved intent understanding

2. Create a sales pipeline

Map your client's journey from awareness to post-sale.

3. Nurture leads

Provide value at every stage, especially for new leads.

4. Communicate better

Keep clients in the loop and document key discussions.

5. Review sales feedback

Regularly check in with your sales team to understand buyer preferences.

Realtors® often throw away great leads because they aren't ready to buy right now. That's a huge mistake.

What's next for consumer intent in real estate

The real estate industry is about to see big changes in how it understands and uses consumer intent. Here's what's coming:

New ways to analyze intent

AI and machine learning are going to shake things up:

Predictive analytics: By 2026, real estate tech could hit $2 trillion. This means better tools to predict what buyers will do.

Web3 apps: By the end of 2024, over 100 million people might use Web3 apps. This will give us new ways to understand buyers in decentralized markets.

AI-powered insights: AI could boost real estate productivity by over 30% by 2035, says McKinsey. This includes:

AI Use	What it does
Natural language processing	Understands buyer messages
Computer vision	Figures out what properties people like from images
Predictive modeling	Guesses future buying patterns

Better CRM for tracking intent

CRM systems are getting smarter at using intent data:

1. Real-time intent tracking

CRMs will soon show buyer actions across platforms instantly. Agents can react fast to changing minds.

2. AI-driven lead scoring

Smart algorithms will score leads based on things like:

How they act online
What properties they look at
How often they communicate
What they do on social media

3. Personalized outreach

CRMs will suggest how to talk to each lead based on their signals. For example, sending virtual tours to people who spend a lot of time online.

4. Intent-based automation

Future CRMs will do tasks based on what they think buyers want. If someone likes a neighborhood, it might send them listings there automatically.

5. Cross-platform intent analysis

CRMs will use data from many places to understand buyer intent:

Where data comes from	What it tells us
Property websites	Saved searches, favorite listings
Social media	Where people want to live, big life changes
Email	What listings people click on
Website behavior	What types of properties people spend time looking at

Real estate pros need to keep up with these changes. As Geoff De Weaver, CEO of Limitless USA, says:

The future of real estate is all about personalization. If you can tailor experiences, you'll build relationships that last a lifetime with your clients.

Conclusion

Consumer intent is crucial for real estate lead generation. Understanding what buyers want and how they act online helps real estate pros target their marketing better.

Here's what you need to know about using intent data:

It boosts lead quality. Companies using it see a 67% jump in lead generation and 45% better lead-to-opportunity conversion.
It lets you personalize. Use intent signals to craft messages that hit home with prospects. This leads to better conversations and more conversions.
Timing matters. Reach out when intent signals are strongest. As Vikas Bhatt from ONLY B2B says:

Intent data is like a secret weapon in B2B lead generation. It helps businesses get what potential customers want and how they behave online.

Tech helps. Use AI-powered CRMs to automate lead qualification and analyze buyer intentions. This helps you focus on the best leads and improve your marketing.
Customer experience is key. With 44.5% of organizations seeing it as a main competitive factor, using intent data to boost CX is a must.