This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Business & Tech

Local Realtors Respond to Digital Demands

A new iPad app is just one of the technological innovations that's arrived in Piedmont's real estate market.

Piedmont real estate customers, whether they're buying or selling, are expecting agents to deliver information quickly and clearly with cutting edge technology.

The trend inspired to develop an application for the Apple iPad and other mobile devices that allows agents to create custom PowerPoint presentations with property details and comparative market reports.

“You get a ‘Wow!’ from both agents and our clients when they see this presentation," Phil Weingrow, manager of the company’s Montclair Village office.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

The app, launched in April, is exclusive to Alain Pinel's nearly 1,400 agents.

“It’s not for sale on iTunes,” Weingrow joked, adding that most brokerages have unique tools with similar protection.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Consumers are driving digital advances in the industry, agreed D.J. Grubb, principal of , in an email responding to questions about how his firm is meeting the demand.

“We are intensely focused on our social media marketing strategy and how best we can communicate with the buying public as well as promoting homes in the luxury market space. Keeping our brand relevant, attractive and easy to navigate is an ongoing conversation for us,” he wrote.

A 2009 study by the National Association of Realtors showed 90 percent of home buyers used the Internet in their real estate search, generally starting online.

But while younger generations are veering towards the web, old-school clients still gravitate to print materials and Grubb said the fundamental laws of real estate remain the same.

“Technology will not increase sales volume,” he wrote.

Grubb claimed human interactions are still the deciding factor in closing deals, even as agents increase their reliance on the mechanics and efficiency of email, text messaging and online information sharing.

Despite enthusiasm about the new iPad app, Weingrow said Alain Pinel still pours resources into training agents in more traditional skills. Being able to discuss personal needs with clients, a knowledge of local schools and staying on top of upcoming listings are key to an agent's success, he said.

“Tech apps are tools that can be utilized, but if someone is interested in buying or selling their home, they need an experienced agent,” Weingrow insisted.

Debbi DiMaggio, partner at , is excited that her firm is now using Google Docs to streamline data access in its offices, and she herself is an avid user of Twitter and Facebook. Nonetheless, she said, real estate is a "high touch business."

“It is about lifestyle and helping people emotionally. Buyers and sellers still need a shoulder to cry on.”

If technology ever does take over, DiMaggio said it will mean we are “living in a robotic, emotionless state”—something she hopes will never happen.

DiMaggio, Weingrow and Grubb each returned Patch's initial request for an interview the old-fashioned way: by phone.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?