Commentary by Susan Harrison Sometimes it seems like advancements in technology come and go in a blur, and technology for the real estate industry is no exception. This week, hundreds of industry experts are gathered in the heart of New York City to discuss, according to the Inman News website, “the very latest business intelligence that will help you rethink, reframe and recharge your business.” Today’s program at the Inman Real Estate Connect Conference includes the requisite “what happened, why it happened and what are we going to do about it” talks about the real estate business and a conversation with Craig Newmark – the Craig of Craig’s list – about how the internet culture is changing the U.S. I’m also looking forward to a workshop that promises to “whip [our] internet marketing into shape.” Maybe someone really has built a better mouse trap. However, for me the questions remain: What’s the point of having the latest mobile phone technology if you’re not going to communicate in a timely manner? What’s the point of having blogs, websites and other marketing tools that return valuable tracking statistics if you don’t discuss those statistics with your customers to help them through the sales process? In my opinion, real estate always has been, and always will be a people business. Technology is only valuable in so far as it enables sales representatives and brokers to find, get, service and keep customers coming back - and they actually USE IT. So the question I’ll be asking this week is, “How has your “mouse trap” actually proven to assist agents in becoming better at their job?” | 
Email to a Friend
