Have you heard about Doorsteps?  Maybe not because up until very recently it was an online tool only for first time homebuyers.  From their blog: “Our mission is simple: turn every curious buyer into a confident buyer. And when the time is right, every confident buyer into a committed one.” (There is a very well done video on the site that explains the process.) 

They accomplish this by providing a step by step process (think checklist) that gently takes home buyers through the often arcane process of buying a home.  In the process of completing the checklist they build an online profile of who they are, what they want, why they need to do certain steps and when the steps need to be completed.  This can be shared with their agent.

The big news for you and me is that Doorsteps recently retooled and came out with a Pro version for agents.  It starts with a 30 day free trial after which you can decide to sign up for a $25.00 per month service.  When you join Doorsteps you will be given the opportunity to invite an unlimited number of your buyers to use the platform.  You also will get the chance to gather some leads from buyers who were independently using the platform and wanted to make contact with an agent.

This seems like an idea that is perfectly timed.  Given that most first time buyers are likely to be Gen Y buyers who are comfortable with using technology, but don’t necessarily have knowledge about the home buying process, this should be hugely appealing.

If working with buyers (I don’t see why this couldn’t be used by any buyer, not just first timers) then it would be well worth your time to take them up on their 30 day free trial.