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How much has the Internet influenced real estate buyers? According to the latest survey released by the National Assn. of Realtors, 80% of all buyers seeking to purchase a home did at least some searching online -- up from just 2% in 1995.

“Most home buyers begin the search process online, but most often learn about the home they buy from a real estate agent,” said David Lereah, the trade group’s chief economist.

The association’s Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, based on more than 7,500 responses to a questionnaire mailed nationwide, is the latest in a series of surveys evaluating demographics, marketing and other characteristics of home buyers and sellers. The study showed that 81% of buyers who used the Internet to search for a home eventually purchased through a real estate agent, in contrast with 63% of non-Internet users, who were more likely to purchase directly from a builder or from an owner they knew in advance of the transaction.

One of the surprises contained in the study was that the number of first-time buyers dropped to 36% of respondents, compared with 40% in the previous three annual surveys.

“I hope this does not become a trend,” Lereah said. “The first-time buyer is a critical component of the housing industry.... Some of the first-time buyers in the market for a home earlier in the year simply could not afford to get in.”

The median age of a first-time buyer was 32, a fairly consistent finding since 1981, with a median income of $58,300. The median buyer purchased a home costing $165,000 with plans to stay in that home for six years. The median down payment by first-time buyers was 2%, although 45% purchased a home with no money down. Of first-time buyers who made a down payment, 22% received a gift from a friend or relative, usually their parents.

The survey showed the average home buyer was 41, earned $71,800 and purchased a home of about 1,815 square feet for $214,000. The buyer searched for eight weeks and viewed nine homes before making a decision.

The average repeat buyer was 47, earned $81,900, purchased a home costing $249,000 and planned to stay in that home for nine years.

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