It’s no secret that technology is the driving force behind almost everything that we do these days. From school, to work, to the way we order food, the influence that tech has on our everyday lives is greater than we’ve ever imagined. In the past few years, and especially this year due to the pandemic, the real estate industry has been continually using technology to grow and to evolve. There are so many ways that real estate has shifted due to these new advances causing people to buy and sell property in ways that our grandparents would have never thought possible. Insights from top agents indicate that the next few months are going to be busy in the world of real estate. Below is a closer look at how technology is driving the real estate market and ways that you can use these tools to your advantage.
Online Listings
Nowadays, it’s more normal to own a smartphone than not. This makes it possible for millions of people to view listings from pretty much anywhere in the country. You could search “sell luxury real estate the ridges” anywhere in the world and have access to the listings in the area. There are a ton of websites that give users the ability to search for houses pretty much anywhere and to pull up information about the properties. You can view images, see how much the home costs, search the surrounding area, and even get an estimate on what your monthly mortgage payment might be along with many other homebuyer priorities. Having access to a huge variety of online listings gives home buyers the opportunity to view a wide range of houses and home sellers to reach countless potential buyers-all without having to leave where you are.
Virtual Tours
Virtual tours became especially popular this year when people were stuck at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people still wanted to buy and sell homes, and a majority of areas in the United States still continued real estate to be an essential business. There are a few ways that you can go about doing virtual tours, and technological advancements have made it really easy to do some cool showings. You can go the route of doing a live showing using FaceTime or Zoom, allowing you to meet up in “real time” or you can even make a pre-recorded video with transitions, sounds, and voiceovers. Another really unique way to go would be to take 3-D style videos that allow users to take a virtual reality tour, giving them the feeling that they’re actually present! Switching to real time technology offers many benefits, but perhaps the most valuable is that it will improve situational awareness throughout the business. This feature enables seamless connectivity between sensors and systems to provide you with an all-inclusive view of your business.
Applications and Software
Speaking of smartphones, there are a wide variety of mobile applications that you can download that can assist you with finding a home. They can serve a variety of purposes from finding and touring a home to getting an estimate on the costs of homes. Additionally, there are apps and software, like net proceeds calculators, that use data to give you a picture of how much money you will likely make from selling your house. If you regularly buy and sell real estate, it might even be worth looking at real estate marketing software too. There are so many options!
Buying and selling houses just isn’t what it used to be several years ago, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you’re thinking about buying or selling, we do recommend that you familiarize yourself with some of these tools so that you can stay on top of your game this year.
