Primary market
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The 2004 Technology To-Do List
broadband Internet connection, and move and manage files on any hard drive, all though a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) network and thin air. While setting up, configuring and securing a WiFi network can take some patience, the boost in both productivity and flexibility make this well worth your while. The C List: The last grouping of technologies all have value, but are below the "A" and "B" lists in terms of what they can add to the typical real estate agents income, productivity and time savings. This is not to say that you should avoid these technologies, just that they should not be addressed until you have fully exploited the more important, and productive, technologies above. Desktop Publishing (DPT) - The ease of use with many DTP programs now makes the ability to create your own professional looking marketing materials a reality. Whether you"re considering generic programs such as PageMaker and MS Publisher or industry specific solutions like Prospect"s Plus or HP"s Real Estate Assistant just about anyone can now make professional looking marketing materials. Presentation Software - More and more of today"s real estate professionals are successfully taking their technology into the field. Armed with a notebook computer and presentation software any agent can easily create outstanding presentations for their buyers and sellers. While electronic presentations drastically reduce the amount of time required to prepare for client appointments and also make a professional statement, they can be a bit overwhelming for some prospects and these technologies can take quite a while to master. Mapping and Demographics - One of the great benefits of the computer age is the ability to purchase electronic information. Every day the availability of software for mapping, demographics, school information, and public records increases. While all of these lend themselves to providing greater customer service and personal efficiency, they do not represent products that provide the immediate return on investment that most real estate agents are looking for. Digital Camcorders - The promise of affordable digital motion photography is here. But, actually sharing digital video with others and using it effectively in marketing is still a somewhat difficult task. While this will no doubt change in the coming years, digital video is still left for the truly tech at heart. Wireless Internet Access - Currently, both Sprint and Verizon are marketing wireless Internet access through PC-card cellular modems that you can use with any notebook computer; and both claim speeds faster than dial-up access provides. While these cellular modems can offer solid Internet access in certain situations, they are often plagued by the limitations of their cell networks, and are still fairly expensive. For some users, these solutions are ideal, but others will find them both slow and frustration. For the most part, your satisfaction will be based on geography, local cellular coverage and how much traffic is on the towers in your area. Your Future As you plan your new year, whether for yourself or your associates, I sincerely hope that you will reflect on the above to-do list in order to determine how effectively you are using technology, and to set realistic goals for implementing newer technologies into the future. On a final note, regardless of where you are on the technology curve, realize that the shift to technology for enhanced productivity and production is an on-going process and that without effective training, results will typically be marginal.Pages: 1 [2]