State-of-the-Art Technology at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

By Sean Cawley

It’s obvious that everyone is buying products online these days.

From clothes to electronics and even homes, if you know what you’re looking for, it’s probably available on the web. In fact, with more and more Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices clients starting their home searches online, it’s no surprise that the Internet is now a major force in helping consumers find their perfect house. As a Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices agent, I can confidently say that our brand provides a state-of-the-art shopping experience from start to finish.

Online property search websites like Inside Access™ from our very own www.berkshirehathawayhs.com are a useful place for consumers to begin a new home search, making the exploratory process a lot easier and providing home shoppers with a wealth of information to bring to their real estate agent. See what I did there? Yes, your trusty real estate agent is still right in the middle of this technology-driven communications loop.

Technology by no means replaces an agent but serves to complement their services and skills. It’s undoubtedly a tool and should be used by both the client and the professional: A customer enjoys the benefits of technology from home search to closed contract, and a Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices agent understands how to use technology to enhance a client’s real estate experience.

To put things in perspective, let’s take a look at technology then and now:

• Then: Lists of homes for sale appeared in local print publications. The first continuously published newspaper was issued in 1704.
• Now: Homes can be viewed online, from laptops, mobile devices, tablets and more.

• Then: Landline phones were the quickest way to transmit messages. The first coin-operated public phone was installed in 1889.
• Now: Mobile devices with camera, GPS and ultra-fast wireless web connectivity provide lightening-speed communication across the globe.

• Then: Facsimile machines were used to send signed documents and validate contracts. The last fax machine I’ve seen was in the 1999 film, Office Space.
• Now: iPads with access to email messages and electronic signatures are the preferred way to do business.

• Then: Meetings took place in conference rooms. If you know who invented the meeting and when, please let me know.
• Now: Video meetings held on applications like Skype™ can happen from any Starbucks® (or Dairy Queen®) in the world.

Check with your local Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices sales agent and you’ll probably find that he or she wholeheartedly embraces technology—the “now”—and uses it to benefit clients who want to buy and sell homes across the country … and the world. So, pick up the phone and ask your Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices agent how they can help you with your next real estate transaction.

You’ll be happy you did.

SEAN CAWLEY is an agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Arizona Properties. Visit his website at www.SeanCawley.com.