Computer Tips October 1995
Ron Sodos
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Real Estate salespeople are always calling me with questions about new
software and hardware. I can answer most of their questions with one word;
Education! Most of the software on the market today is fairly user friendly,
and with a little time spent reading the manual, one can become quite
comfortable with a program. As far as hardware goes, technology is moving
so fast that no one but an electronics engineer can really say that they
fully understand what is happening in the PC industry. With all the
multimedia equipment that has emerged in the last year, how all this will
be used is anyone's guess. Video telephony is just around the corner.
Communication and data retrieval on computers can already incorporate
video and audio clips. How this will emerge in everybody's desktop
computers will depend on how software vendors implement these concepts
in practical applications. In other words; What for? Well, I would
welcome being able to view a walkthru of a house with the click of my
mouse. This type of technology is available right now on the World Wide
Web of the Internet. The problem is, as of right now you need to either
pay a consultant to do it for you, or spend the time learning how.
Combining this with the money it will cost you for the hardware, most of
us feel it is a waste of time. Then why am I even telling you about all
this? Well for one, I have been intrigued by technology since my youth,
when I was a ham radio operator. But for the most part, I feel real
estate salespeople are on the verge of gaining command of some serious
tools that will again make us the experts in the eyes of buyers and
sellers. Over the last few years the wolves have been knocking at our
doors every day. The computer industry moguls are spending all their
time and money to convince the buying and selling public that the
information super highway is the way to obtain all kinds of information.
This includes information about homes for sale, without the use of a
salesperson. Getting back to my original theme, Education, Education,
Education!!! I could probably say it a few more times without sounding
redundant. The way to increase and protect our control over the way
real estate information is delivered to the public, is to spend the time
educating ourselves so we can once again call ourselves experts. There
is no doubt that our industry is changing. Those of us that refuse to
get into the technology age are doomed to be pushed aside. The young
kids are all using computers in elementary school. To me it is obvious
that the buying public in a few short years will expect all of us to
have the new technology at our fingertips. There is no way around it.
So again, I must say the way to maintain our longevity in the marketplace
is to take the time to educate yourself about computers. There are
so many tools and time saving functions, that it really will benefit you.
I will admit that in the beginning computers seem to be confusing and a
waste of time. However, the first time you get a commission check from
a sale that you procured accross Internet Email, you will be convinced.
Also, keep in mind that the time you spend learning helps you lay a
foundation that will last you for the rest of your life.
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