You can buy a house 100% online - but should you? Computers & Real Estate

Computers and Real Estate – that combination of words might not seem like they should go together but especially in today’s highly technological world these two go hand in hand. Even before the influx of remote work post 2020, computers have been a highly critical piece of the real estate industry for decades. A lot of people when they think of real estate they think of the home buying and selling process, which is largely done in person – meeting with your agent, touring homes, and eventually signing the mountain of papers needed for each transaction. At its core, real estate has a critical use for computers with every single deal which is to draw up and print the contracts & documents needed for that transaction. Whether you are buying, selling, or refinancing a home there are tons of documents that were created or copied by a computer.


In today’s market, much of the in person work can also now be done virtually via computer. The majority of agents hire camera professionals to capture their listing and offer the photos and videos online for potential buyers. Virtual 360 degree tours, which allow you to “walk” through the house and property, are becoming more and more common so the need to actually visit a property in person is reduced. Of course most people would still opt to visit a home in person but the options via computer are there and are more widely available.


It’s critical for employees in this industry to be computer literate. Real estate deals are typically large financial transactions and there is quite a lot of sensitive information viewed and used daily. Understanding how to navigate a computer and be aware of common phishing or social engineering tactics, which I consider to be basic computer literacy, is vital to protect the company and the customer. With the trends of the past, this industry will continue to be technologically driven as it’s an industry that is dependent on volume. More technology can often translate to higher efficiency if applied correctly and in an industry that’s all about numbers, saving time anywhere possible is always a priority.