My Answer:

Many industries have been disrupted by technology. The real estate sales industry, for a number of reasons, and in large part due to its wild and broad fragmentation, has not yet succumbed.

That being said, I believe many of the current “tasks” required to sell a home have been and will continue to be automated over time and generations, especially as more people are equipped and desire in many cases, to “Do it themselves.”

If OnStar can open your car door remotely, a house could be similarly opened for viewing.

What about property security? Imagine robots and robot dogs with hidden cameras everywhere.

How might a buyer get to a home to view it? In the future, brokers might provide driverless cars using an Uber type technology. Scheduling showings online is already going mainstream.

And what about Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and Block Chain and Digital currency?

Throw in for good measure, new and newly revived concepts such as ibuyers, fragmented ownership, loan automation process in under 48 hours, online banking and stock trading and sales systems.

It seems readily visible to the casual observer that the role of today’s “real estate professional” will continue to evolve, as will the brokerage model of the future.

Consider, however, the one thing that industry folks have been telling us for years is because of the dollar size and infrequency of a home purchase, people will always want and need a human to guide them through the process.

Maybe…but I foresee new job descriptions for those associated with the transfer of real property in the future. I am not sure what it will look like (I would be a billionaire if I did :-), but it will be different from the model we are familiar with today.

What do you think?

What is it that is in your job description that cannot be automated, and will it always be required in the purchase and sale of real property?