Real Estate technology is “really”… way cool
Posted: April 3, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »I love technology, always have. I remember the first remote controls I ever used. You would hoist this rather large and clunky device, make sure you weren’t more than 10 ft. or so away from the TV and click. I mean “really click”. It was as if the TV was controlled by the sound of loud click than by any other technological means.
Technology has certainly come a long way, hasn’t it? Sometimes I wonder (like you probably do) “is all this technology really useful?” – I do think most of it is really cool, but is it actually useful or is most of it simply a waste of time?. What use does technology play in certain areas of life? I believe technology has its place in certain aspects of real estate as it can be a great time saver and information gathering tool in many situations. My problem with real estate technology is that very few agents, and frankly very few consumers really understand how to effectively use the technology they see and have at their disposal. Information is great, IF you understand what it is telling you and how to apply it.
I love golf. I love to play golf, watch golf and buy trinkets that remind me of golf. Being golf proficient (making a club do what you want it to do) takes at least some basic understanding of physics and the particular swing you use – you must have information to know how to handle certain situations. The problem is that having the information is only a piece of the puzzle. It is the application of the information and the experience to know how to apply that information that begins to cause one golfer to achieve better results than another.
This idea of properly applying information is not really any different when it comes to successfully buying and selling real estate. Real estate information (some of it anyway) is all over the place. It’s in a million different advertisements, it’s wrapped in countless agent marketing efforts and promises, it’s simply…everywhere, thanks to technology! One of the biggest problems is that some of the information the consumer sees is not correct information. Now the problem is simply compounded. It is the proper information with the proper interpretation of that information and the mixing in of experience that ultimately makes the technology itself truly useful and not just cool.
Do I love tech toys?…. if you were to see me with my iPad, netbook and iPhone you would be sure to know the answer. Do the tech toys help my business…. if you were out showcasing properties with me and instantly got an answer to your questions because I was able to access the internet in the car or in front of a “possible choice in a new home” you would sure know the answer to that question too. Does technology sell homes?…. I can answer that one. The answer is NO. Technology is yet just another tool to assist both agents and clients toward a goal of buying and selling real estate. There will continue to be strides in technology ,however, none of it will help clients achieve their goal. It will only be the agent that knows how to use technology and explain it’s use in such a way as to allow clients to more easily embrace the entire process.
I strive to provide what is expected of a professional real estate agent and what can actually help my clients and help me help my clients in the market place. I have chosen to use all of the technology that I have available to aid in time savings, information gathering and sorting and presentation to clients. The one thing that I have not allowed technology to interfere with, however, is liberal helpings of the common sense experience. Good judgement tempered with experience always comes first. Everything else simply plays a supporting role. I think that’s the way my clients like it!
Buying or selling a home is full of variables, pitfalls, detours but should not be stressful or tragic. Technology and information are the key factors to that avoidance. If you think I can assist you with finding a home or selling an existing home please give me a call at 985-778-1903 or email at alanendermann@gmail.com Please visit my websites at www.alanendermann.com and www.homesinmadisonville.com for more information on how I work and for 24/7 MLS property searches.
