The electronic technology revolution has opened the floodgates of information for homebuyers and homesellers, pushing the real estate industry into revolutionary changes. To say that this opens new opportunities for providers of computers, e-commerce, software, Web sites, and other related products and services is a vast understatement.

Consider just this one figure: During a recent 12-month period, the value of computers purchased by REALTORS® for home use (we’re not even talking office use here) amounted to over $521 million. That’s almost a half-billion dollars, without even mentioning the printers, modems, Internet service providers, software, and other associated equipment and services.

Consumers are, by their actions, sending a message to the real estate industry. They want comparative information online. They want to be able to narrow down their search while sitting in the comfort of their homes, even before going out with a REALTOR® to eyeball what’s on the market.

The message is not lost on REALTORS®. They are not being left behind by these technological and information revolutions, as some had feared. Instead, they are quickly adapting to new methods and the heightened expectations of their customers. More REALTORS® are establishing their own Web pages, some including information about the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ own site, REALTOR.COM. Customers there can see virtual tours of their prospective homes, with 360-degree views of selected rooms, landscaping, and the neighborhood.

On a personal level, REALTORS® relish the change when, for example, they receive that first call from interested homebuyers who saw something that interested them on the REALTOR®’s Web site. And speaking of personal, REALTORS® have discovered the reality of the electronic age: Instead of making the business impersonal, as some feared, it has made it much more personal. The personalization of Web pages with pictures of REALTORS®, their biographies, their experience, and their easy access has made real estate a business that is a much more human and rewarding experience for buyers and sellers as well as for REALTORS®.

In REALTORS® you have a rapidly expanding but far-from-mature market of vast potential. When you pick up REALTOR® Magazine, you will see an unmatched marketplace of information about technology products and services for the real estate industry. REALTORS® closely scrutinize this information, whether in stories or in ads. Remember, this industry is composed of a large percentage of independent entrepreneurs who make their own decisions about technology products. They are waiting out there for you to help them increase their selling effectiveness and ultimately their sales.