In this high tech age of immediate gratification, many people begin looking for new homes 5 to 6 months in advance. As many as 80% are searching and buying via the internet. There are numerous ways to search when online. Some people will begin with what is important to them like: school districts, subdivisions, age of the home, city, location, amenities, size and sq. footage, to name a few. Beyond the internet, it is said that buyers often ask friends and family for a good Realtor thus resulting in a referral. This is the number one way used to find a home. In Realtor magazine, they quote that 49% of Sellers use the referral method and 50% of Buyers are referred to a Realtor to find their next home. So let's say you are in Virginia and you want to move to Austin, TX. You don't know anyone in the new city, how are you going to get a referral? Back to the internet; I have found by using the searching capabilities, I start by googling what city I want to be in and then seeing what Real Estate office comes up consistently. I use their website to get information and listings. It is important to do your research to find an appropriate office and the select Realtor that knows the area where you want to relocate. If the office is tech savvy, they will have and/or will give you most information you need...right on the website. The biggest complaint I have heard from buyers is that they make contact and never hear another word from the office or designated Realtor. It is imperative for a professional to contact that inquirer immediately. It is also interesting that 78% of people who started looking for a home online ended up using a real estate agent to make the final purchase. While searching the web for either a home or a Realtor, it pays to browse a bit, going from link to link to check all your options. Start by asking the Real Estate Company or Realtor to set your search to receive listings that match your criteria. They will have spent the time and money to have that feature right on their site. Most Realtors have MLS access that they can email you listings every time a new home is added that meets your needs. It is a free service that can help you make your decisions. Add your key words to these searches because of super functional algorithms that define your requests. To get an idea of whom you are going to be working with. Check out the many social networking communities such as Activerain or Trulia. There you can get biographical information, read their blogs and find out professional information. Check out Wikipedia, Zillow or Realtown they too can be great sources of information. The Real estate world has been redefined to accommodate the opportunities presented on the web. You should have and find everything you need at your fingertips.