Allen Alishahi – Web 3.0: The

Web 3.0: The Next Big Thing

Commentary by Allen Alishahi

Current conversations about how the digital landscape is shifting almost always include a reference to Web 3.0. Sometimes referred to as web3, this is the term used to describe what many consider to be the next phase of how we are going to exist online. It specifically captures the idea that the digital universe will become one that is more decentralized, more secure and more private.

Of course, there is plenty of debate about whether or not this is true, but if we assume that there will be at least some growth in that direction, now is the time for the real estate industry to ensure that it’s prepared. Thankfully, we’re an industry that has a lot of these concepts built into our way of doing business, therefore, it will simply become a matter of embracing them in a digital incarnation.

From how we buy and sell goods and work at our jobs, to how we manage our finances and interact with friends, the expectation is that online activity will move away from being dominated by a handful of big tech companies that store hundreds of data points about user behavior to a world where people’s online activity can be more anonymous. When a higher-stakes purchase or transaction is involved, there will be much more due diligence about proving the individual’s identity. The flow of documents that accompanies each transaction is also going to be subject to higher-grade authentication since it’s much too easy to tamper with documents and pass them off as originals in the world in which we live.

To succeed in web3, real estate professionals must have a strong infrastructure in place to keep up with changing expectations. Up until now, infrastructure typically referred to what it takes to manage everything to do with marketing, networking and closing deals, but moving forward, our CRM tools, email and print marketing materials and methods for predicting upcoming listings are going to have to change or be upgraded. We will also have access to different types of tools that ensure authenticity and protect private information. Clients will be less tolerant of filling out a form so that their contact information can be collected and sold to bidders, and their expectations around the security of the paperwork we send back and forth is going to become much stricter.

The good news is that real estate professionals possess the training to succeed within this new environment. We know how to cater to individual personalities, and with a broader array of platforms coming into existence, we will be adept at using our skills to adapt to the different flavors of each one. We’ve been ready for web3 before the idea even existed.

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The digital universe will become one that is more decentralized, more secure and more private.

Allen Alishahi is president of ShelterZoom, the technology company behind DocuWalk. For more information, please visit www.docuwalk.com.