Real Estate Technology: How Modern Tech Transformed the Face of Real Estate Today!
The advent of the Internet has heralded the digital age of real estate. Now, at the click of a button, you can step into a world of available properties, getting a glimpse of your dream home for the comfort of your couch. It’s revolutionized the way we buy, sell, and work in real estate, and we only expect this trend to continue in the coming years. So, what is the new real estate technology?
How has the era of bytes and pixels changed the landscape of the real estate market? We’re exploring the impact that the Internet and other cutting-edge technologies have had so far on the real estate industry. We’ll look at it from the standpoint of the buyer, seller, and agent.
We’ll also answer the question that everyone’s been pondering: is there even a point to hiring a real estate agent anymore? Read on to find out!
An Overview: What Types of Tech and Services Are Used Today?
There’s certainly no shortage of tech tools and online services to cater to the whims and needs of buyers, sellers, and agents. These innovative solutions help streamline processes, enhance communication, and empower the consumer with data-driven insights that help even the most real estate ignorant individuals make smart decisions in real estate transactions.
Here are some of the top tech and online services available:
Real Estate Websites and Apps: Platforms like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin provide comprehensive listings, market insights, and virtual tours. They’ve become so popular that even people who aren’t in the market are known to browse listings for fun.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR): VR and AR technologies offer immersive experiences. Now, a buyer can perform a walkthrough and get a feel for a property without even leaving their own home.
Data Analytics and AI: Tools leveraging data analytics and AI help agents and buyers make informed decisions by analyzing market trends, pricing dynamics, and valuations.
Online Transaction Management Systems: The physical contract is still alive and well in many scenarios, but platforms such as DocuSign help streamline certain paperwork processes by enabling digital signatures and secure document sharing.
Social Media and Digital Marketing: Social media platforms are for more than just sharing funny video clips and pictures of your food; they’re also a place where digital marketing strategies may play a crucial role in reaching a wider audience, promoting listings, and engaging with potential buyers.
Mobile Apps for Communication: Mobile apps like WhatsApp, Slack, and Signal facilitate quick, efficient, and secure communication between all parties.
Cloud Storage and Collaboration Tools: Cloud-based storage solutions and collaboration tools such as Google Workspace and Dropbox enable seamless sharing of documents, photos, and videos.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems: CRM systems like Salesforce and HubSpot may help agents manage client relationships, track leads, and automate marketing campaigns for optimal results and success.
Online Home Valuation Tools: Websites offering home valuation tools provide sellers with estimated property values based on market data and comparable sales. Buyers may also utilize these tools to see if they’re getting a deal or being taken for a ride.
Video Conferencing and Virtual Meetings: People still love face-to-face meetings, which is why platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams have become so prevalent in social circles, the business world, and in real estate too. These platforms enable virtual meetings, property tours, and consultations, reducing the need for in-person interactions.
Back in the day, none of these conveniences were available, meaning buyers and agents had their work cut out for them if they were to look for viable properties. Sellers too had the tall order of properly marketing the property without paying an arm and a leg for it.
Times have certainly changed.
How Tech Changes the Buying Process
The buyer may have the sweetest deal when it comes to using tech to streamline and simplify the house hunting process.
First and foremost, it’s no longer required to hop in the car and personally visit each listing to get eyes on the property. Looking at the online listings gives enough information for a buyer to quickly determine if the home has what they’re looking for. They can also quickly identify issues with layouts and features that may be deal-breakers, helping narrow down the list of potential properties for purchase.
Data analytics and AI-driven tools are also incredibly valuable for providing buyers with insights into market trends, pricing dynamics, and property valuations. It’s no longer necessary to take a seller’s or agent’s word that the price is fair and in line with the market. There are now objective technologies that can prove or disprove that, giving you as a buyer the confidence you need to act swiftly on a good deal and likewise dismiss bad deals.
Online transaction management systems further streamline the buying process. You don’t need to allot time from your busy day to sit down and sign an exhausting stack of papers each week. Instead, platforms like DocuSign allow for digital signatures, secure document sharing, and seamless communication with agents and sellers, so you get the needed documents signed swiftly and securely.
At all parts of the house hunting and home buying transaction, the buyer is empowered by modern tech.
How Tech Affects the Selling Process
Buyers don’t get to enjoy all the perks though. Sellers also may revel in the convenience that real estate tech and online services bring to the table.
While buyers are busy browsing on Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin, it’s the sellers and sellers’ agents who are making the listings in order to attract potential buyers and reach a wider audience. They choose what is showcased, so buyers get a glimpse of the property’s best features before they venture out to see it firsthand.
Social media and digital marketing strategies further amplify exposure. So, while would-be buyers are scrolling their social feed, possible properties that may appeal to them pop up and remind them that their dream home is only a few clicks away.
Of course, we can’t forget about the online data analytics and AI-powered tools that give sellers valuable insight into what price may be appropriate to ask. This not only helps the seller make the most money from the sale, but also lets them know if their listing will be appealing based on the current market health, trends, and other pertinent factors.
Technology takes the guesswork out of the selling process, helping streamline, simplify, and speed up the process so sellers can sell quickly and move onto their next adventure.
How Agents Benefit From Real Estate Technology
While the consumer is given unprecedented power in the real estate industry, even if they were relatively ignorant to the market previously, the agent gets to enjoy some perks too. Technology has revolutionized the way they operate, communicate, and serve their clients.
Back to our favorite example about Zillow and other similar online platforms and real estate websites, agents have access to extensive (sometimes even exclusive) listing opportunities, market data, and tools for showcasing properties. Whether the goal is to assist a client in buying or selling, the Internet makes the job more manageable and able to be performed successfully in relatively less time than was previously possible.
Data analytics and other AI-driven tools offer agents valuable insights into market trends, pricing strategies, and buyer behavior, so a wealth of knowledge and metrics are available at the push of a button that allow the agent to remain competitive and get the best deal for their clients.
The speed of business is now much faster too. Online transaction management systems like DocuSign help agents get paperwork into their clients’ hands more immediately, minimizing downtime and making deals happen much quicker than they used to. That means more happy customers in less time and, as a result, more commission to help the agency stay afloat and profit handsomely.
I mean, we love making our clients’ dreams come true, but we all must make a living, right? Technology provides a great way for agents to do that, making the career even more rewarding and lucrative.
What’s Next For Real Estate Technology?
The face of real estate has been forever changed by the advent of technology, but, in the immortal words of Bachman Turner Overdrive, “Baby, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” As the years continue to fly by, more and more technological advances are changing things further.
Here are a few trends we’ve been noticing and things we may expect to see moving forward:
Enhanced Virtual Experiences: If you think VR is immersive now, just you wait; as the tech continues to advance, we may find ourselves in increasingly immersive virtual walkthroughs of potential properties or even making renovations through use of AR.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Big data, machine learning, and predictive analytics are enabling things like more accurate pricing predictions, better market trend analysis, and personalized recommendations for both buyers and sellers.
Blockchain for Transactions: Crypto investors love going on about blockchain tech, but it’s still relatively unheard of in the real estate sector. This technology may have the potential to revolutionize property transactions by offering secure, transparent, and immutable records of ownership, contracts, and payments, reducing fraud and increasing trust in the process.
Artificial Intelligence in Customer Service: The one that’s been scaring customer service workers worldwide, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are providing instant responses to queries, scheduling appointments, and guiding clients through the buying or selling process in record time.
Smart Homes and IoT Integration: The Internet of Things (IoT) will play a significant role in creating smart homes with connected devices that offer energy efficiency, security features, and personalized experiences, adding value to properties and attracting tech-savvy buyers.
Crowdfunding and Real Estate Investment Platforms: Investing in property was once reserved for individuals with astounding credit, collateral to wager, or a massive reserve of capital, but online platforms that facilitate real estate crowdfunding and fractional ownership will democratize access to investment opportunities, allowing a broader range of investors to participate in the real estate market.
All things considered, there’s a lot to look forward to in the real estate industry. For better or worse, the way we do business in real estate will continue to change as new advances are made in technology.
Real Estate Technology – Are Real Estate Agents Obsolete?
With all the aforementioned tools available to anyone with an Internet-enabled device, does that mean human real estate agents better diversify their skillset when they’re inevitably out of a job?
We don’t think so, and we’ll explain. While technology, online services, and AI-powered tech can help drive business and simplify the transaction, it still takes another human to truly empathize and understand the needs and pain points of human clients.
After all, we’re not really selling a property to most clients; we’re selling the dream of home ownership, a place where memories will be made, where friends will gather and children will grow up. It takes people to truly understand that mission and work to ensure it becomes reality.
What real estate agents must do to remain competitive, however, is embrace the new technology, incorporate it in their daily practices, and make doing business with them an absolute pleasure.
The technology is here and it’s not going anywhere. It’s up to us if we want to use it to make our jobs easier, get our clients better results, or shun it and fade into obscurity. The choice is ours.
Real Estate Technology – Closing Thoughts
So, don’t leave the house hunting or marketing efforts to WALL-E just yet. Our team of real estate professionals boasts intimate market knowledge and expertise that simplifies the buying and selling process, so you can focus on your day-to-day and leave the heavy real estate lifting to us. Don’t take our word; put us to the test! Contact us at (614) 316-3324