My dad is the arguably the most intelligent person I know, but he has this thing against technology and anything that requires him to do more than press a few buttons. So it was with not a little wonder that I recently saw him use a computer like a champ to browse the Internet, look up sites using search engines and send and receive email. Well, I thought, here’s what the Internet can do to even the most die hard technology ignorer – the World Wide Web drags you into its portals by hook or by crook, and even if you go in kicking and screaming, pretty soon you’re a pro showing off to all your equally technologically -handicapped friends.

The real estate sphere is no different – the voices that spelled doom for this business because clients were doing their own searching and buying/selling on the Internet are now singing paeans to the widespread reach that this technological wonder offers. Real estate agents have been forced to keep up or be left behind, and so we’ve seen the germination of a new side to these smooth talkers.

Websites and blogs keep clients and prospective clients in the loop; they are updated on a regular basis to reflect trends and news in the real estate industry. Information that was earlier available only after long consultations is now accessible at the click of a button. The omnipresence of the Net has allowed real estate agents to canvass a larger cross section of the population rather than target just the local crowd.

People who live far away and wish to look at houses in a local neighborhood are able to do so through listings on the Internet, and agents benefit when they’re called to act as local representatives. They’re also able to steer clients to homes and property that are not listed on the Internet. Some real estate agents are going the limit and offering toll-free numbers where they can be reached or a message delivered at any time of the day. If not, there’s always the cell phone number for most-valued clients.

And it’s not just the Internet that’s a part of this rapid embracement of technology by real estate professionals – they’re also learning to adapt to other software like CRM systems. But that’s a development that’s not so surprising – after all, they do know which side of their bread is buttered and must change accordingly!