The world is changing quickly, adapting to a consumer demand for automation and immediate gratification. This is especially true in the real estate world. More traditional agents are falling behind as the younger, tech-savvy generations use innovative tools to outperform the competition. New applications and artificial intelligence systems are making their way into the industry every day. Here are just a few that might just change how real estate is perceived.
Augmented Reality
It can be hard for buyers to picture their style in someone else's home. Well, no longer with the introduction of augmented reality apps in the real estate industry. Thanks to new tech, buyers will be able to see digitally created style choices for furniture, appliances, countertops and more on their mobile phones, which lays the digital images on top of real-world items. Cambria, a countertop manufacturer in Eden Prairie, Minn. is just one example of a company that is offering this technology. Popular furniture stores, IKEA and Wayfair, are also releasing similar apps.
This will also be helpful for sellers who wish to remodel in order to increase their resale value, but are unsure of what changes will look best. Some apps also let consumers measure the dimensions of a room to create a floor plan. Real estate agents who introduce this augmented reality technology to their clients will come across as a full service real estate resource when compared to agents who rely on service professionals to come out and survey a property, which can be time-consuming and fruitless if the consumer decides not to move forward with renovations.
Self-Driving Cars
Autonomous vehicles have been in the pipeline for a few years now, with the Google car (now Waymo) in its early public trial stage in Phoenix, Ariz. Once fully developed, these cars can be used by real estate agents as a way to interact more with buyer clients and to easily access listings without having to worry about directions. Not only will these cars be more convenient for homebuyers, but real estate agents will appear more professional for providing a chauffeur-like experience.
Amazon Echo
Amazon has been a strong player in the tech game this year. With the introduction of Amazon Key already a possible addition to the real estate industry, the retail giant's Echo speaker line may be another reason for agents to look to Amazon for real estate answers. The Echo Plus product gets consumers closer to their smart home dreams. Even a simple automation trick of voicing "turn on the lights," will impress prospective buyers and make the house more appealing even if it doesn't come with the tech. And the Real Estate app by Voiceter Pro will let real estate clients voice search for property information, as well as connect them with an agent. It will be more important than ever that real estate agents come up on top in search engine results.
Innovation is always on the rise, and agents can expect that technology will change the entire industry, for better or for worse. Those who stay on top of new tech trends will surely beat out the competition.
Tech makes it so easy for people to stand out in such a busy industry. I work with home inspectors frequently and the ones that are up to date on there home inspection are kicking butt. Not to mention saving tons of time!