Nearly three out of five real estate firms and three out of ten realtors have a Web site to market their services. Seventy-two percent of real estate firms and 57 percent of realtors report generating at least some of their business from online services. Realtors are using other technologies at increasing rates, including cellular phones, scanners, digital cameras, and laser printers. Realtors are using computer software for comparative market analysis, document preparation, and for presentations. Nearly nine out of ten realtors own or lease a computer, with the rate of ownership virtually indifferent to age, experience, and level of education.
Consumers typically contact a real estate professional after using a real estate Web site.
The major change in the practice of real estate is the availability of real estate information. In the past, the real estate professional was the gatekeeper to all property information. This shift is forcing the real estate industry to rethink what value brokers and agents bring to the real estate transaction. Consumers expect much more of a real estate agent today than in the past. They expect real estate professionals to use the latest technology to meet clients need.