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The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the quality and reliability of websites’ content can be assessed through the lens of “wisdom of the crowds”. In particular as a case study the authors examine the information supplied over time on several prominent Israeli real estate websites.

The Israeli real estate market was selected for the study, since there are many large, popular and dynamic real estate websites that feature hundreds of thousands of ads, representing most of the supply of real estate properties in the country. The authors built an automatic, ontology-based system that downloaded advertisements from three selected websites every two weeks for a number of months and checked for changes in these advertisements over time. The authors conjecture that wisdom of the crowds is mostly reflected by the information changes on the websites, since they indicate the anticipated market trends. Hence the authors developed a number of statistical measures to comparatively analyse trends of information changes on these websites, and assess their reliability compared to the actual market data and tendencies.

The primary results suggest similar information change trends amongst all the websites. Surprisingly, although some properties did not sell over time, sellers generally did not lower their asking price and were willing to wait. Sellers even raised their asking price, apparently in anticipation of future price increases. Comparison of recurring trends among the websites with the trends of the real market during the same time period and a few months after reveals that wisdom of the crowds is only partially effective as an indicator and predictor of website content quality: it correctly reflects the fluctuation in demand, but not in the prices.

This study was conducted over a limited time period of five months, and only in several cities in Israel. Additionally, since buyers are not explicitly represented in these sites, their information behaviour was not analysed, although it undoubtedly influences information changes performed by the sellers.

The practical contribution of this study is the ontology of the real estate world. Its assimilation by real estate websites would promote the development of their sites and user services. It would also enable ad sharing amongst the various websites and enable efficient searches by search engines. In addition the tools and measures that the authors developed will allow continued monitoring and analysis of user information change patterns.

To the best of the knowledge this is the first study to examine and compare real estate websites’ quality and evaluate their information reliability as wisdom of the crowds.

The real estate industry is an e‐commerce anomaly. Although the overall growth of ecommerce is driven by the business‐to‐business sector, the majority of real estate e‐commerce is derived from its retail‐oriented residential sector. This study examines the structure of residential and commercial real estate websites, with the goal of determining whether some patterns of content might increase the quality and quantity of information available to buyers and sellers thereby contributing to the disparity between residential and commercial real estate e‐commerce growth. The results of the research show residential real estate websites offer richer informational content than commercial real estate websites. No significant differences are found for the user friendliness and functionality (ie ancillary services) provided by residential and commercial real estate websites.

This study aims to determine website quality, young adult socialization and dark triad personality as the factors influencing the real estate purchase decision. In addition, this study also measures the mediating effects of young adult socialization on real estate purchase buying behavior.

Related literature, quantifiable variables with a five-point Likert scale, hypothesis testing and mediators are used to study the model. A systematic questionnaire that was divided into four sections was used. A total of 336 valid responses were collected and analyzed through a structural equation model.

The results suggest that dark triad personality and young adult socialization considerably affect real estate purchase decisions. The development proves website quality does not significantly impact real estate purchase behavior.

This study is limited to a few young consumers’ responses. Future studies could be more widespread globally and should include more variables and offline methods of purchasing behavior.

As per the review of existing literature, this research is the first, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to determine the factors affecting the real estate purchase decision with factors like website quality, dark triad personalities and young adult socialization involving it.

The purpose of the study is to determine website quality, materialism, psychological factors, hedonic value and social media as factors that influence the young adults’ impulsive housing and real estate buying behavior in India. In addition, this study also measures the mediating effects of social media influence between psychological factors and hedonic value and young adults’ impulsive housing and real estate buying behavior.

Related literature, quantifiable variables with a five-point Likert Scale, hypothesis testing and mediators are used to study the model. A systematic questionnaire that was divided into six sections was used. A total of 385 valid responses were collected and analyzed through a structural equation model.

The results suggest that materialism, psychological factors and social media have a considerable impact on young adults’ impulsive housing and real estate buying behavior. The findings also ascertained that website quality and hedonic value do not have a considerable impact on young adults’ impulsive housing and real estate buying behavior.

This study is limited to the responses of young consumers from a limited number of brokers and regions in India. Future studies could be more widespread across the globe.

As per the review of existing literature, this research is the first, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to determine the factors affecting the impulse buying decision mainly in the housing and real estate sector with the target consumers being young.

Brand awareness is a key cognitive metric and a vital component of consumer-based brand equity. Generating and maintaining brand awareness has been an important metric for brands and a significant outcome of advertising and promotional activities. Brand awareness has been studied over the years in the context of market share and mind share and is considered to be the fundamental starting point of a brand relationship. Most branding variables are challenged in their linear definitions by the multi-dimensionality of the connected online world. Consumers may start their brand journey with brand awareness and then proceed to explore higher options in a non-linear fashion. This challenges traditional advertising and brand salience models. In the web context, brand awareness could even happen with little prior cognitive processing. The purpose of this paper is to explore the little researched area of brand awareness in the context of Indian websites.

The study leveraged technology to study the brand discovery behaviour of real estate website users in India. The authors looked at essentially modified processes such as the brand experience journey, specifically, the sources and antecedents of brand awareness for real estate websites. Considering the fact that direct and indirect traffic to a website is indicative of the brand awareness metrics, the authors analyse the metric as a basis of the comparison.

Brand awareness in the digital world can be attributed as firm generated, user generated and, as the authors also discover, experience initiated. The altered dimensions have a profound impact on the brand advertising spends of not just digital brands, but all marketers who will find digital technology increasingly central to their brand communication efforts.

Burgeoning websites and media proliferation have increased the source set for website discovery. Customers do not rely solely on advertising or chance encounter to discover a new brand. Usage of search engines remains the key point of discovery for brand awareness. Some of the respondents recognised websites from prior advertising exposure and selected the brand from the consideration set offered in the search results for their keyword search. In other cases, brand awareness followed brand experience as the users did not process the brand information or, in most cases, were not aware of the brand name prior to website visit. The quality of brand experience created brand awareness and had further implications, including brand visit intent.

While mass media television advertising and ubiquitous online advertising can build brand awareness, the impact of search engine advertising and search engine optimisation is equally significant, if not more important. Brand managers can additionally focus on branding on the search channel in the light of increasing search intensity. Beyond traditional keyword planning, this can be an enhanced branding platform for reaching out to specific behavioural or character traits of the target audience. Brand experience can mature from task completion to brand awareness and higher level values if the website includes key brand messages and goals.

This paper offers insight into the little known field of online brand management. Information intermediary websites are unique in their value proposition, and brand building is challenging. Real estate websites have grown in popularity, but have not merited researcher attention. This paper offers a unique perspective on branding websites, specifically in the context of emerging markets like India.

The following is an introductory profile of the fastest growing firms over the three-year period of the study listed by corporate reputation ranking order. The business activities in which the firms are engaged are outlined to provide background information for the reader.

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

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.

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.

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).

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

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

The paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of artificial intelligence’s (AI) transformative impact on the real estate industry. By examining various AI applications, from property recommendations to compliance automation, this study highlights potential benefits such as increased accuracy and efficiency. At the same time, this study critically discusses potential drawbacks, like privacy concerns and job displacement. The paper's goal is to offer valuable insights to industry professionals and policy makers, aiding strategic decision-making as AI continues to reshape the landscape of the real estate sector.

This paper employs an extensive literature review, combined with a qualitative analysis of case studies. Various AI applications in the real estate industry are examined, including machine learning for property recommendations and valuation, VR/AR property tours, AI automation for contract and regulatory compliance, and chatbots for customer service. The study also delves into the optimisation potential of AI in building management, lead generation, and risk assessment, whilst critically discussing potential challenges such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and job displacement. The outcomes aim to inform strategic decisions for industry professionals and policy makers.

The study finds that AI has significant potential to revolutionise the real estate industry through enhanced accuracy in property valuation, efficient automation and immersive AR/VR experiences. AI-driven chatbots and optimisation in building management also hold promise. However, this study also uncovers potential challenges, including data privacy issues, algorithmic biases, and possible job displacement due to increased automation. The insights gleaned from this study underscore the importance of strategic decision-making in harnessing the benefits of AI while mitigating potential drawbacks in the real estate sector.

The paper's practical implications extend to industry professionals, policy makers, and technology developers. Professionals gain insights into how AI can enhance efficiency and accuracy in the real estate sector, guiding strategic decision-making. For policy makers, understanding potential challenges like data privacy and job displacement informs regulatory measures. Technology developers can also benefit from understanding the sector-specific applications and concerns raised. Additionally, highlighting the need for addressing algorithmic bias and privacy concerns in AI systems may foster better design practices. Therefore, the paper's findings could significantly shape the future trajectory of AI integration in real estate.

The paper provides original value by offering a comprehensive analysis of the transformative impact of AI in the real estate industry. Its multi-faceted examination of AI applications, coupled with a critical discussion on potential challenges, provides a balanced perspective. The paper's focus on informing strategic decisions for professionals and policy makers makes it a valuable resource. Moreover, by considering both benefits and drawbacks, this study contributes to the discourse on AI's broader societal implications. In the context of rapid technological change, such comprehensive studies are rare, adding to the paper's originality.

This study aims to recognize the role of information system (IS) model on young adults’ experience of housing and real estate chatbots. This model of IS takes into account the quality of information, the quality of system and the quality of service.

This study uses a sample frame for analysis which comprises young adult population in India, i.e. between the ages of 18 and 35. A questionnaire consisting of five components was used to collect information in a structured manner. The 386 responses thus collected were analysed using the structural equation model.

It was found that there is a significant influence of the quality of information, quality of system and quality of service on young adults’ experience of housing and real estate chatbots. The findings also showed that there is moderation role of effort expectancy between the quality parameters and young adults’ user experience of housing and real estate chatbots.

This study focusses exclusively on the young adults from various parts of India. Future research can consider larger population categories across age groups and across sectors employing chatbots.

This study will enable in-depth understanding of IS model – quality dimensions’ relation with the user experience. In particular, housing and real estate organisations will profit from the expanded usage of artificial intelligence through chatbots for user correspondence and communication.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is first of its kind, as it investigates how IS model – quality dimensions affect the young adults’ experience of housing and real estate chatbots in India. This study also ventures into identifying the moderation role of effort expectancy between the quality dimensions as per IS model and young adults’ experience of housing and real estate chatbots. This study will be useful for the stakeholders of housing and real estate industry.

This paper aims to discuss the essential features, merits and drawbacks of the recently enacted Indian Real Estate Act, 2016, an economic reform measure pertaining to the real estate sector (RES). This paper analyses the impact of the Act and Union Budget 2016 on the inflow of foreign d irect investment (FDI) in India, and examines its ramifications on the world economy.

The study is based on secondary data sources, including consumer forum reports, investigative reports from national agencies, court decisions, government websites, real estate companies and industry associations. A sample survey on the implications of the Act has been conducted using Facebook and and through personal interaction with various stakeholders.

The Indian RES was unregulated prior to the passage of the Act, which has several provisions aimed at protecting the interest of consumers by tightening fraudulent practices of promoters/developers. Stakeholders are hopeful, but there is some apprehension. The government’s budgetary and fiscal support for infrastructure development has had an impact on the FDI inflow.

The Act is new, so there is not enough data to judge its real impact on the economy. However, it has started showing evidence of impact through a recent judgment by the Supreme Court of India punishing a promoter.

Regulating the Indian RES is a challenging task, but the new regulations are likely to provide confidence to foreign investors who may see India as a safety net for investment. This paper is timely and may help move things in this direction.