After several years with a red hot real estate market, would it surprise you to know that real estate companies are still actively looking for more sales representatives? But not just any sales representatives. There is a great need for technologically proficient young agents to fill a growing void in the real estate profession. You see, right now there are a lot of experienced real estate veterans out there providing great service. However, the reality is that with a high average age in the agent population, a relatively large proportion of salespeople are expected to leave the business within the next few years.

For real estate brokerage companies to maintain their market share in years to come, it will be vital that they grow their ranks now with real estate sales representatives who will be ready to step up to the plate in the near future. And who will that real estate agent be? In a service industry that has radically changed the way it does business, progressive real estate companies such as your local Coldwell Banker affiliate will be looking to a younger generation of techno-savvy recruits to fill the gap that will be created when today's sales representatives retire.

In just the last few years, we've seen the average real estate customer turn to the Internet as their primary source of real estate information. The vast majority of Canadians have internet access at home as well as at work and it's usually high-speed. Most of today's prospective buyers now start their home search on the Internet although interestingly, the vast majority of buyers ultimately find the house they eventually purchase through a real estate professional. What does all this mean? Well, for one thing, it means that although technology has created an explosion of information, it still takes some professional advice to analyze and interpret that information properly. You may be able to find out the list prices of thousands of properties, but how do you know when it's a competitive or even a fair price? With all the data the Internet has to offer, there's still a great need for the help of an experienced sales professional in order to make informed choices and sound decisions. In fact, it might just be that there's a greater need today than ever before!

In keeping with today's consumer preferences, innovative real estate brands like Coldwell Banker are using new technology to connect with buyers, to showcase seller's listings, to build relationships with past clients and much more. And what other conclusions can we draw from all this? Simply that today's techno-savvy individual can be an ideal candidate for a career in real estate. People who are comfortable working online who would be at ease using internet-based leads management systems individuals who routinely post blogs and communicate by email and who research information by web-site links. These individuals may be well suited to step into the role of tomorrow's real estate professional.

Hi tech. hi touch... the truth is that with the consumer market place educating themselves on the internet, the end result is a knowledgeable client needing some support close to a critical decision making time. That means that there is no replacement for that personal touch. Whilst consumers do research online and communicate electronically with Realtors, it is interesting to me how many Realtors still do not accept email as a legitimate form of dialogue with a qualified client, or even call them after they have been emailed. Many clients talk to me about communications that have never been responded to�either by phone to Realtors across the country or email. Whilst we accept that technology can assist us in doing business more conveniently, nothing will replace the ability to quickly return a communication to a client either by email or telephone.