Doing Some House Hunting… At the Mall?

When you visit the local shopping mall, your mind is probably on the usual things. Clothes from the Gap, coffee from Starbucks. Maybe a CD or DVD (or several) at the record store. But now, according to the Bakersfield Californian, there’s a whole new retail world to experience at Southern California malls — real estate.

Local real estate agents have set up a new high-tech kiosk at Valley Plaza in Bakersfield, Ca., that lets prospective home buyers get a glimpse of the area’s available houses, talk to the agents, and even speak with home loan providers. All without leaving the bustling mall hallways they love.

The kiosk is one of seven set up by Reosk, a real estate company based in Valencia, Ca., that started last fall. The kiosks are primarily located in Southern California, and allow real estate agents to grab the attention of passers-by (of which there are thousands upon thousands — we are talking about the mall here) and form casual relationships without pressuring anyone.

“It’s very stressful for people to buy and sell real estate,” said Reosk president Jon Raich.

The kiosks have displays upon which agents place photographs of houses with corresponding numbers. Shoppers can then see slide shows of outside and inside the house with great ease. Not only is it a non-intimidating way to meet potential clients, but agents get great exposure to a wide variety of people. Over 40 local agents have already signed up for the service.

Reosk has plans to expand to other states in the coming months, with the Florida housing market one of its targets. With the complexity of the real estate and mortgage process, it’s easy to see how an informal, no-pressure approach such as this can be successful. Of course, you don’t have to wait for a kiosk to pop up at your local mall… you can apply for a free Florida home loan consultation right here on our site!