Technology and Real Estate in Bethesda: Geek is Chic!

Technology continues to change the way business is done today, and real estate is no exception. Previously I reviewed some of the smartphone apps that are changing both home buying and selling in Bethesda, as outlined on the MSN Real Estate web site. Here are five other technology trends making inroads into real estate.

Single-Property Websites – Buyers are still searching websites, but not the earlier versions with hundreds of listings. Today there are individual sites devoted solely to one home. In addition to high-quality photos and detailed information, these single-home websites also offer links to a home’s Walk Score, a mortgage broker, and the seller’s real estate agent. Some people set these up themselves while others have it done by their broker.

Seller Websites – Many more real estate agencies are offering this along with the single-property site. Included here is a checklist of agent duties and what’s been completed.

High-Tech Bar Codes – Called QR Codes (for Quick Response), these funny-looking bar codes are placed on the back of a business card, a yard sign, or the bottom of a brochure. A mobile device that has a QR code reader scans the bar code and takes you to a pre-set page of information such as a Facebook page, a Twitter profile, or a home’s website.

Video Tours – The Generation X and Y folks have grown up watching a screen of one kind or another and prefer watching to reading. So many real estate agents are creating video home tours and video testimonials. These are uploaded to YouTube or linked to a site by a QR code.

Electronic Lockboxes – No more need to remember a code. These lockboxes can be opened using a smartphone. Whenever someone enters the home this way, the seller gets an email on which agent came to the house and the agent gets a thank-you email.

For Realtors® and their clients, this technology has streamlined the home buying and home selling process. Clients no longer need to look at 25 or 30 Bethesda homes in person. Now they preview electronically and actually step into only those they really like. This saves hours of time—and lots of money on gas. For agents, this technology can streamline their workload and create an almost paperless office.

But should you be worried, Realtors® are not going anywhere. Real Estate remains a business where human interaction makes the difference. The professional support and guidance we provide will always have a value that no technology can match.

I provide my clients with personal interaction to complement the latest technology. Contact me, Mynor Herrera, today for expert help buying or selling in the DC, MD, & VA areas! I also specialize in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, as well as the sub-divisions of Rosemary Hills, Rock Creek Forest, East Bethesda & Whitehall Condominium.