Based on the research gathered, and the findings of multiple long-term studies as researched, trends in real estate marketing are changing in favor of high technology by the minute. Agents who choose to embrace the changes are rewarded with higher sales ratings and better customer communication. Clients feel more connected to their agents, securing their trust in an agent's professionalism and motivation. On the other hand, those who have not updated their technology are suffering, and are becoming fewer and fewer.
Of those agents who responded to my survey, only a small percentage have not engaged in online marketing and high-tech solutions. While the research articles indicated that Realtors may be a thing of the past with the advent of the Internet and new services offered online, many agents are very much in the fight still. In 2011, agents use all means available to them for survival--iPhones, Blackberries, smart phones, laptops, and online marketing solutions.
Although these agents are keeping up with current technology and consumer demand, the Internet is expanding at an astounding rate. This is to say that in the future, real estate agents could in fact become a thing of the past. But, for now at least, agents have decent job security as long as they maintain their knowledge of current technology and market trends.