The role of real estate agents and digital media to first home buyers in the North Island of New Zealand
Author: Rochelle Velez
Supervisors: Edwin Rajah Indrapriya Kularatne
11 April 2024
Velez, R. (2024). The role of real estate agents and digital media to first home buyers in the North Island of New Zealand. (Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Management). Auckland International Campus, Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga, New Zealand. https://doi.org/10.34074/thes.6494
Abstract
The first home buyers' journey in the North Island of New Zealand is a complex and multifaceted process influenced by various factors, including the role of real estate agents and digital media. This research explores the role of these two factors and their impact on the decision making process of first home buyers. Data was gathered using a mixed methods approach that combined surveys and interviews to examine the experiences and challenges that first home buyers encountered when utilising real estate agents and digital media during the home buying process. The findings revealed the interrelated role of real estate agents and digital media in the first home buying journey. Real estate agents act as information resource, and advisory role. They are trusted experts who provide first home buyers with valuable information, market insights, and negotiation support that help them make informed decisions. At the same time, digital media helps first home buyers by triggering home search, providing access to vast amounts of information, easing house searches, give valuable visual content, and helping in the overall decision making process. First home buyers are better able to navigate the real estate market and make informed decisions regarding their first home purchased when digital media is used properly. Combining the support of real estate agents and digital media creates an optimal environment for aspiring first home buyers, facilitating well-informed decisions throughout their first home buying journey. However, challenges such as difficulty in finding the right house, understanding the home buying process, complete transparency, and accuracy of information pose hurdles for first home buyers. By understanding these dynamics, stakeholders in the real estate industry can better support first home buyers and enhance their overall first home buying experience.
Keywords
role, real estate agent, digital media, first home buyers, real estate technology
License
A copy of the thesis is publicly available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
This licence applies except where otherwise indicated, especially for images.
