Key determinants of real estate service quality among renters and buyers

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to compare quality perceptions of virtual servicescapes and physical service encounters among buyers and renters of real estate.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative data from a sample of 27 professionals engaged in higher education in the USA are gathered by recorded interview before being transcribed and imported into MAXQDA 2007 software for analytical coding.

Findings

Particular differences are found to exist between renters and buyers with regard to specific service attributes – for example, description of properties and type of visuals during the pre‐purchase stage, knowledge/experience and honest behavior of realtors during the service encounter stage and a continuous relationship with the realtor in the post‐encounter stage.

Research limitations/implications

Generalization of the results is limited because the study utilizes data from only one industry (real estate) and from only one demographic segment (professionals in higher education).

Practical implications

Real‐estate firms need to pay attention to both the training of agents and the design and content of their websites.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to knowledge regarding virtual servicescapes in professional services.

Citation

Tuzovic, S. (2009), "Key determinants of real estate service quality among renters and buyers", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 23 No. 7, pp. 496-507. https://doi.org/10.1108/08876040910995284