What’s your most valuable technology tool?

Is your local MLS website or app your most valuable technology tool?

Excluding emails and cell phones, 62 percent of Realtors® chose their MLS website or app as the technology tool they value most, according to the National Association of Realtors® Technology Survey. And most Realtors® are satisfied by the technology provided by the MLS, as only 2 percent said it wasn’t valuable.

Beyond the MLS app and website, lockbox and smart key devices were the second most valuable tool for Realtors® at 39 percent, followed by social media at 28 percent. Over the next year, the top three technology products Realtors® plan to purchase are a laptop, smartphone and printer/scanner.

Realtors® also understand the importance of web presence. Fifty-one percent have a page on their brokerage website, 32 percent pay for their own website and 21 percent use a free site. Only 12 percent do not have a website or page and 4 percent weren’t sure. Additionally, 49 percent reported they pay for their domain, 20 percent say they don’t need their own domain and 13 percent plan to pay for their own domain in the next year. Facebook is the most used social media platform for Realtors®, 97 percent said they use it, while 59 percent said LinkedIn and 39 percent said Instagram. Promoting listings and building and maintaining relationships are the top reasons Realtors® use social media.

In the last year, real estate agents spent between $251 and $1,000 on technology to use for their real estate business. Additionally, most respondents (59 percent) reported they pay their brokerage monthly for technology or have some of their commission taken for it.

What do Realtors® want from their brokerage in technology? Predictive analysis was the most popular answer, at 36 percent, followed by CRM at 35 percent and transaction management software at 25 percent.

Most agents reported using anti-virus software, whether they pay for it, their brokerage pays for it or they use free software. Only 10 percent reported they do not use it, and 2 percent do not know.