In recent weeks there has been explosion in coverage of the newest "trend" - that is of conducting real estate by virtue of mobile technologies. To be historically correct, mobile technology is in no way a "new" trend. However, the realization of its lasting success over the last several years is grabbing some major headlines in RE news services such as Inman and Rismedia.

What is Mobile Technology?

Mobile Technology is a general term that means technology that allows an individual to conduct their business from anywhere, anytime. The number and types of mobile technologies are vast - ranging from software that runs on your PDA, phone, laptop, just about any device. The types of software available are also wide spread - from simple text message communications to information packed emails and MLS listings.

Why is it Useful?

In the competitive nature of the RE profession, responsiveness is key. The saying the "early bird gets the worm" is not a joke. Those who appear constantly available, and can change their game plans at a moments notice are the ones that succeed. To read more, see our blog posting Responsiveness Proves an Edge in Winning Listings.

Did you know Mobile Technologies is part of REW™?

The REW™ certification is based on sound, time-proven technologies, and has included the Mobile Technology course from first conception. This course does not teach you how to use your mobile phone - rather it goes beyond the basic operations included in your phone or PDA instruction guide. The course delves into the true power behind the mobile device you can't leave home without. Software capabilities, communication protocols, and the various types of mobile devices are just a few of the topics covered in the course. Click here for a more in-depth summary of the course or here for a sample presentation.

This week, InmanTV interviewed Keith Garner, the managing director of the National Institute of Realtors' Center for Realtor Technology, about upcoming technologies available for RE Professionals. The Center for Realtor Technology's mission is two-fold, (1) to educate real estate professionals on the technologies available today to make them more efficient and successful and (2) to provide a sounding board for real estate professionals to either build utilities they need or could use, or advise technology companies on technoology content real estate professionals need or would find beneficial.

As stated in the introduction of the REW Handbook ,"the CRT’s development of applications, published surveys and white papers on real estate technology highlights why they care about technology acceptance and adoption by Realtors®. Throughout this book and online courses found at Webographers.com, training content is written in the “spirit” of the lessons and best practices expressed by the Center of Realtor® Technology (CRT)".

In this short interview, Keith discusses what CRT is and what they do, weighs in on the usefulness of smart phones, with specific attention to the newly released iPhone and finally gives his take on what should be the real estate professional's "silver bullet".

Real Estate Video by - Real Estate Blogger

In recent years there has been a big push to learn how to better and more efficiently obtain leads. Volumes of literature have been written and a myriad of software and social techniques invented. After so much effort has been exhausted to generate these leads, eventually folks realized that transforming suspects into prospects is as difficult as finding them, if not more so.

So how DO you get people off the phone and email, and through your door? One thing you must constantly be aware of is your responsiveness to your prospect's requests. Most first time home buyers are Generation Xers, 20s and 30s-somethings brought up by the "www" - a virtually immediate gratification device. There's no more waiting for the morning news, traffic, or weather reports - it's all there when they want it, at the click of a button.

Moreover, in a recent California Association of Realtors (CAR) publication entitled "Internet versus Traditional Buyer Study", 63% of traditional home buyers felt agent responsiveness to be either an "extremely important" or "very important" aspect in selecting the right RE professional. These numbers climb even higher - up to 83% - when polling internet home buyers.

To keep up with what consumers are expecting, agents are going to have to continue to decrease their response time, and mobile technologies is their vehicle. With almost any standard PDA, an agent can use the mobile technologies available to boost his or her availability to nearly 100%. These technologies take you to the next level, from answering phone calls, responding to agent or single property website inquiries, or even browsing the MLS.

Those agents who are successful know a quick response time is part of the complex recipe to winning more listings turning their leads into clients. Have you gone mobile yet?

The National Institute of Webographers has awarded iseemedia, Inc. corporate sponsorship of the Mobile Technology competency within the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ (REW™) certification.

View Press Release here.

Mobile capability is arguably the fastest growing technology requirement for a real estate professional today. Over the course of a typical day, RE professionals are constantly on the go; from visiting various new potential sellers, to showing current homes on the market to prospective buyers. Due to an agent's constant "on-the-go" workday, it is of paramount importance that an agent always be available for rapid response to today's internet-savvy consumer.

iseemedia understands this demand for mobility, and has answered the call by offering breakthrough products specifically designed for the "on-the-go" professional. iseemedia, along with North American distribution partner, RealBiz360, provides solutions for the mobile agent to complement sales, marketing, communications and customer management tools to make the mobile device as effective as their desktop computer at the office or home.

For the up-and-coming RE professional, this means their real estate needs, such as access to MLS data, real estate applications, mobile Virtual Tour access and / or to online documents have now become portable.

REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ Certification Activity

Candidates engage a "story" of a mobile agent utilizing mobile devices and applications to complete objectives while "on-the-go". This snapshot includes a 1-week perspective of the tasks performed & executed while being mobile; allowing the candidate to better understand the value proposition behind mobile technology.  An in-depth view of iseemedia mobile technology is presented for immersive learning into today's latest mobile apps for the real estate professional.