Residential Properties, Ltd. and  Smith & Associates are members of The Active Enterprise Network, a union of privately-held real estate companies across the country that share information and strategy as well as a unified technology platform.

Real Estate in the Year 2030

Welcome to the year 2030…

I pull into the driveway of my dream home in my 100% hydrogen powered car, iPad 21 in hand, ready to sign the contract and call it my own.  At exactly 2:30pm (yes, Realtors are on time in this fictional age), a highly anticipated vibration comes from my iPad and a hologram replica of my vacationing Real Estate agent pops up (Yoda style) to tell me that as soon as we conference in our Title closer, we are ready to sign the papers.  The closer chimes in and the contract appears in unison on the shiny glass screen.  With the click of a few buttons and my autograph via tiny black stylus, 10% of the purchase price is removed from my bank account and I am officially a home owner.

I walk up the perfectly kept sidewalk to the door, swipe my pre-programmed fingerprint and I am granted access.  The blinds open, lights come on & air conditioning is automatically set to the temperature of my preference before I even have time to put down my purse.  I am a bit startled the first few times I am greeted with “Welcome Mrs. Campbell” upon entry but it eventually grows on me & I feel a bit sorry for the previous generations that missed out on these luxuries.  It is the year 2030.  I am a proud member of Generation Z and now I am home.

In All Reality…

While some of these ideas may seem a bit far fetched (and loosely based off of various Sci-Fi movies from my previous years), it is an indisputable fact that our world is rapidly advancing technologically and the Real Estate Industry is going with the flow.

You can’t walk into an Apple store without noticing that their checkout methods are unbelievably efficient – using nothing but a small scanner attached to an iPod Touch with the option to have your receipt magically appear under the closest table or emailed to you.  Customers with an iPhone 4 or above can even download an “EasyPay” app that will guide them through self checkout, avoiding the process altogether.  This is only a small glimpse into the future of electronic transactions, making contracts via iPhone & hologram meetings seem closer than we may have thought.

How Can You Prepare for the Future?

One of the biggest pieces of advice that can be offered is to adapt.  It is much easier to grow with technology then to try to pick it up mid swing, when you can no longer operate without it, which is a problem many generations currently face.   Attend classes, sign up for technology based newsletters, follow both Real Estate & technical blogs, take advantage of Social Media outlets including Facebook, Twitter & Google+ to ensure you are reaching out to as broad of a network as possible, have clients write Google reviews after your transactions to boost your credibility,  invest in a Smartphone (among other beneficial gadgets) and lastly, never get too comfortable because technology isn’t stagnant so we can’t be either.

I don’t have a DeLorean to steer us into the year 2030, but I have dreams, ideas and projections of an ever changing world.  I would however, also like to think that even though technology will continue to advance through our lives, trends will always come back around (except for some poor style choices that should probably stay lost in the 80s).  Staying up to date on the latest gadgets and Social Media will always be imperative to your business but never forget your roots.  Hand written notes, cards, phone calls and common courtesy may not be what closes the deal but they can definitely set you apart from your competition.

What is your take on the year 2030 and how do you think the Real Estate industry will change?  Are you ready?

By Kortney Campbell, of Smith & Associates, serving Tampa Real Estate, is a proud participant in the Holiday Blog Swap, presented by The Active Enterprise Network.

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More article on Real Estate in 2030 found here: Residential Properties, Helen Adams Realty, Murney Associates, Windermere Tri Cities, Reinhart Realtors, The Group, inc., Hasson Company, McEnearney Associates, N.T. Callaway, and LandVest.