Technology has changed the way most businesses are transacted. Even the real estate industry was not spared from the massive impact of modernization. 

Some think that technology has begun to replace real estate agents, but as a matter of fact, it is real estate agents with technology that has come to rise. Online listings, virtual tours and paperless transactions are now the norm, while access to information, customer expectations and client service are literally at our fingertips.

Most successful real estate professionals spend a large amount of time outside of the office. There is a whole slew of technology tools available today to help them stay connected with their office and be even more productive. In the real estate industry, agents need to be responsive and reduce turnaround times for providing information or sharing documents. Those who want to gain an edge over their competition must utilize technology to help them market their business and close deals promptly.

SMARTPHONES

Mobile devices have become a necessary device for agents who are on the go. Consumers nowadays expect their agents to be available 24 hours a day to respond to requests and information as quickly as possible. This means that in order to address this shift in consumer behavior, smartphones are essential tools to respond to emails, text messages and voice mails. Real estate agents can also use the device’s built-in camera to take photos or videos of a property and upload on their website, without having to use a computer.

APPLICATIONS

There are many applications available that can help real estate agents become more productive and provide information to their clients. These applications allow them to manage and utilize data that connects you to what your buyers want and your inventory that you think would suit their needs. 

The usual favorites among real estate brokers are LinkedIn for its networking capabilities, YouTube for its visual appeal, and personal websites for an individual agent to showcase some personality and focus on particular specializations.

CLOUD SERVICES

Real estate professionals can easily share and work together on files and documents through the cloud. These online services make the emailing of documents back and forth or the use of a fax machines slow and inefficient. Google Docs, for instance, is a downloadable application that creates a new shared folder within a user’s desktop. When one user makes a change to a document, any user who has access to the same file will have instant access to its contents. Real estate agents can also take advantage of the app’s capability to chat in real-time with other people viewing and editing the same documents.

QR CODES

A Quick Response code is similar to a barcode only in 2-D that can store a large amount of information. When a potential buyer scans a real estate agent’s QR code with their smartphone, it will automatically link them with content on the agent’s website. Today’s real estate professionals can insert QR codes on lawn signs, business cards, direct mail to potential buyers or sellers to their social media platforms or toa website with more information.

In summary, it is a changing world and the more obvious trends are:

• There is a significant increase in mobile searches for real estate information. Brokers need to spend time and money to update websites and improve online presence, or otherwise be left behind in finding potential clients. Being able to refine searches from specific neighborhoods/locations is now the norm.

• The capability to access information remotely increases your chances of finding and reacting to inquiries and information while outside of the office. 

• Transaction turnaround times are shorter and simpler because sharing and editing documents can be done on the spot, allowing you to close deals quickly. 

• Branding advantages from social media exposure, if done right. There are many applications that are useful in keeping the real estate agents relevant. Some also maintain Facebook pages and Pinterest accounts, among many others-- all of which increase visibility and creates a good marketing effort.

So much has changed from only 5 years ago, and there will be many more to come. While there is hardly any resistance to these changes, there are many lessons to be learned. 

The changes in real estate will be facilitated by technology and those that embrace it become the industry leaders. The solution is not found in the mere acquisition of hardware, but in the use of innovative solutions such as software solutions, applications and platforms.