Technology in real estate Moving beyond just buying and selling krista martens When residential real estate comes to mind, people may imagine the basics of the industry – agents, buyers, open houses, contracts and offers. Buying or selling a home has many moving parts and comes with significant risk, one that professional realtors expertly navigate with ease. Sometimes it is difficult to remember that what seems effortless has taken years to master. What may be given less thought is how the industry is continuously evolving. The old ways of working in real estate no longer serve the
needs of today’s consumer. New thoughts and new tools are shaking up the industry and causing disruptions, all while adding incredible value to the process to meet consumers’ increasing expectations. Let’s Talk ‘Industry Disruptors’ “Every industry, no matter the size, goes through an evolution at some point. Real estate is no different,” says Brandon Moore, Broker and Realtor at Blackdog Republic, a Saskatchewan real estate brokerage with roots in Saskatoon. “Long
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gone are the days of realtors using the old catalogue of listings as the sole tool to guide clients to homes. With the advancement of mobile technology – smartphones, cloud-based digital storage, GPS and lockboxes – the power is shifting into the hands of the consumer. That power is information.” With the vast number of resources on the internet, consumers can find data that can help them make decisions faster and with a significant amount of ease. “Marketing plays a role, offers consumers more tools
at their disposal – websites, social media feeds – as well as the MLS system. All of this can save significant time for both agent and buyer,” says Brandon. “This allows realtors to be as efficient and as effective as possible. In most cases, we start with clients at a different stage of the buying process. They’ve often narrowed their list because they can easily access images and information when they want to. Consumers want instantaneous information.” When agents embrace technology, it gives them an