Real Estate Technology - 7 Reasons to Board the Bus

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Commentary by Walt Baczkowski

RISMEDIA, March 21, 2008-In everything we read today, you can usually find a reference or article regarding the “new consumer,” their changing habits and how to work with this new generation of buyers. There’s an abundance of articles and columns with advice, predictions and offers of assistance-usually for a fee-to prepare Realtors® to meet these needs with the services you provide.

Even with all of this attention, the real estate profession has been slow to take advantage of new opportunities to reach consumers through the very medium they utilize to learn, communicate and socially interact-technology.

Here are several facts for consideration:

- As of September 2007, there were over 106 million registered accounts with MySpace.com. Approximately 230,000 people sign up every day.
- The average myspace.com page is visited 30 times per day.
- There are more than 2.7 billion searches performed on Google each month.
- The number of text messages sent and received every day exceeds the population of the planet.
- Approximately 47 million laptops were shipped worldwide last year.
- One in eight couples married in the U.S. last year met online.

Do you have a MySpace account? Have you participated in a blog or have one of your own? Are you familiar with text messaging? It’s likely that your next customer utilizes these services and will expect to be able to communicate with you through one or the other. If they cannot communicate with you through a service they are accustomed to, they will find someone else.

Walt Baczkowski is president of the Metropolitan Consolidated Association of REALTORS®. To contact him, please e-mail walt@mcaronline.com.

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.

For more of this week’s best practices, see:

• Real Estate Training - An Important Lesson in Diversity  
  How to Ease Intimidation 
  What Every Buyer and Seller Needs to Know about Household Toxins

Discussion Forum

Topic	Posts	Last Poster
Real Estate 101 - What Is A Short Sale?	3	yxvayns
My Space Page?	2	OverlandParkRealEstate
New Agent:Getting Started in RE in S. Florida - Advice?	29	DMonette
Spanish speaking agents in California?	4	CapeCodHomes
Are customers really online?	41	CapeCodHomes
Best Real Estate Blogs???.....	3	ruthrbn
A Listing and $2.00 will get you on the subway!	2	Catie10002
"I'm not going to give my house away."	13	RISORLANDO
Inexpensive Real Estate Websites	1	robertjgaffney
Is Data Integrity really That Important?	5	shelleytherealtor

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