Tampa Bay Real Estate Blog

Real Estate and Technology, Who says they Ain't Friends!

March 22nd, 2008 5:18 AM

I remember speaking with my father that was a broker in MA back in the day and he use to get those huge books from the MLS board with all the listings in it, that were outdated the second they got the book. He use to love that book...I don't know why as it seemed like a huge waste of paper to me but what do I know, right...wrong. I come from a unique line of Realtors that actually have some knowledge of technology. Having a degree or 2 in Engineering, a few patents to my name I think would qualify me uniquely as someone that has knowledge of technology. In either event, enough about me, lets get back to Real Estate and Technology. I knew it was a matter of time that Real Estate as well as any industry would eventually clash with technology, it was inevitable.

Well the time is now. With home buyers spending more time on the Internet searching for homes, NAR reports 87% start their search on-line although I believe the number to be higher, just goes to show that people who claim that they hate technology are using it every day (you're reading this blog aren't you). And am I excited. I can finally take something that I love, and apply it to an industry that is full of old dogs wanting to learn new tricks. It is an exciting time for Real Estate right now. The face of Real Estate is going through a time of change and you can either embrace what is coming and become a part of it, or you can move on.

With the advent of Video email, Viral Marketing, Social Networking, the walls of Real Estate are coming down. Think about it, 10 years ago, if someone from Canada, for example, wanted to view property available in the Tampa Real Estate market, they would have to buy a plane ticket or drive for days, get a hotel, find a Tampa Realtor to take them around to view these homes, then when they were done, pack it up and reverse the process back home (hoping that they found something on their trip or they would have to do the whole thing all over again). Now the same process that took a week takes hours, they log on to their favorite Realtor site, type in their search criteria, maybe something like Tampa Foreclosures, and presto, the listings come up, all the information needed, virtual tours or video tours, contact info, mortgage info, etc.

What a world we live in...this stuff is great and I am looking forward to the next big change, whatever it may be, I will embrace it completely, and you should too!

Posted by Robert Masse on March 22nd, 2008 5:18 AMPost a Comment (1)

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