Research Dossier Draft Boggs 1

Tyler Boggs
February 20th, 2019

Introduction

The real estate industry has been around for over a century now and has evolved over the
years in many ways. Over the last decade we have really seen huge advancements in technology,
which the real estate industry has received its biggest impact from. This industry is something I
have gained interest in throughout high school when I realized I had to really start thinking about
what I want to do as a profession. A big influence on my interest in real estate was my mom
being an agent, it was something I grew up around. Now here I am in college pursuing a degree
in finance, not real estate. This is simply because you do not need a degree in real estate to
pursue it and I am not sure what the future holds for broker and agent professions. With what
technology can do now, brokers, agents, buyers, and sellers are taking advantage of it to help
improve their jobs. I am looking into how the industry communicated pretechnological
advancements, how technology effects the industry and its communication now, and what the
future possibly looks like. With that being said, most of my attention is aimed at those who
professionalize as a real estate broker or agent, however I will still be focusing on the buyers and
sellers considering brokers and agents would not have jobs without them. The three perspectives
that I will be using are from the brokers and agents, the buyers and sellers, and then the third
being the various websites and applications out there.
Currently along my process of completing this research paper, I have accomplished a few
crucial steps in helping me write the best possible paper. I have completed a research proposal,
research map, and a digital paper trail. Along with completing many reading responses where I
learned helpful information and tips to make me a better writer. I have also been working on an
e-portfolio website where I can organize and publish the whole process of writing this paper. It
may sound like everything is going well with my paper, however I have come across a few
roadblocks. The first one being that I am not sure when I will be able to go home again to get
some field research from my mom. Although I am sure that if I cannot make it home, I could
still gain some great information over the phone. The second problem I have come across is not
being able to open a few resources that I would have liked to use. This is just something that is
out of my control and I will just have to move on to my other sources. With that being said I will
be utilizing a bunch of great sources, most of them being scholarly and internet research. My
two favorites are coming from the Forbes, written by two with plenty of experience in this field.
The first one is called “How Technology Is Changing The Real Estate Market” by Chao Cheng-
Shorland and the second is by Carolynn Diakon, called “Will Technology Replace The Real
Estate Profession?”. Real estate is a fast, growing industry where many hope to become the next
million-dollar lister. With this industry becoming very competitive, it is hard to see success in it.
My goal is to inform others interested in this career, along with myself, about what the future
holds for it.

Research Proposal and Research Map

Preliminary Thesis:

Technology has had a huge impact on the real estate industry over the last decade and it will only
continue to. I am looking into the past to see what the industry was like back then, comparing it
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to how it is now with all of the technological advancements, in order to see what the future looks
like for this industry.

Research Questions:

- How has technology affected communication in the real estate industry?

- Will technology make the real estate agent profession obsolete?
- What apps are best for brokers/agents? What apps are best for buyers/sellers?

Keywords:

“Real Estate” , “Real Estate History” , “Real Estate Technology” , “Real Estate
Applications/Apps” , “Communication in Real Estate” , “Evolution of Real Estate” , “Real Estate
Brokers” , “Real Estate Agents”

Research Schedule:

02/25 – Workshop Draft Research Dossier

02/27 – Peer Review Workshop 1
03/04 – Final Draft Research Dossier
03/25 – Workshop Draft Rhetorical Analysis
03/27 – Peer Review Workshop 2
04/01 – Pitch Your TED Talk
04/03 – Final Draft Rhetorical Analysis
04/10 – Workshop Draft 1 Research Paper
04/12 – Peer Review Workshop Draft 1 Research Paper
04/15 – Workshop Draft 2 Research Paper
04/17 – Workshop Draft 3 Research Paper and Peer Review
04/19 – Final Draft Argumentative Research Paper
04/22 - Workshop Draft Self-Assessment/Reflection
04/29 – TED Talks and E-Portfolios

Annotated Bibliography

1) Cheng-Shorland, C. (2018, July 31). How Technology Is Changing The Real Estate Market.
Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/07/31/how-technology-is-
changing-the-real-estate-market/#639d58936d06
Content: While most industries have been staying current with the latest technology trends and
industry standards, the real estate industry has been a notable exception. Real estate is
currently the largest commodity in the world, estimating a valuation around $217 trillion.
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Within time, virtual reality, the cloud, and blockchain will all become more mainstream within
the real estate industry. As technology continues to be more universal within the industry, you
can expect home buying to forever be changed for the better.
Author: Chao Cheng-Shorland is Co-Founder and CEO of ShelterZoom, creator of the first
blockchain-based real estate offer and acceptance platform. He has also been a real estate
investor for over 20 years.
BEAM: In this article the author does not really take a side of whether or not technology will
put agents out of business, but he does believe technology is going to continue to have a huge
impact.

2) Diakon, C. (2018, June 27). Will Technology Replace The Real Estate Profession? Retrieved
from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesrealestatecouncil/2018/06/27/will-technology-replace-
the-real-estate-profession/#223927231d8d
Content: Many believed the integration of technology within the real estate industry would
make a large impact. However, this has not been the case. Fortunately for real estate agents,
technology will never be able to replace them. Although technology has been a very helpful
addition and has helped the industry expand greatly, it will never be able to replace actual
human interaction between the agent and the buyer or seller.
Author: Carolynn Diakon is the Sr. Partner of Resources Real Estate, a great speaker, and an
influential innovative leader. She is also a Regents Member of the prestigious Who’s Who in
Luxury Real Estate.
BEAM: This article is bias and the author believes that real estate agents will always be needed.

3) Field Research: Information I gathered from my mom and her boss

Content: I currently do not have any content for my field research. I will be looking into what
the daily schedule is like for a real estate agent in 2019. I will be looking at how much
technology is used and what applications are used.
Author: This being field research I would say the information I gather is credible.
BEAM: Because I will be using reliable field research, the information I gather will be great for
using as examples.
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4) Gruman G. The Tech-Savvy Real Estate Agent. Berkeley, Calif: Peachpit Press; 2006.
https://login.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/login?auth=shibb&url=https://search-ebscohost-
com.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=179278&site=eds-
live&scope=site. Accessed February 25, 2019.
Content: This book is aimed towards real estate agents out there that do not really use
technology within their business. The author explains how the industry has been evolving and
that technology will only help better a business. With the younger, tech-savvy generation getting
older, they are starting to flood the market for homes. The agents that utilize technology will
most likely have the better chance of winning over these new buyers and possible sellers.
According to the National Association of Realtors, “… more and more buyers are turning to the
internet to research their home purchases – about two thirds.”
Author: Galen Gruman has written more than 30 books on Mac OS X, the iPad, Windows 8, and
desktop publishing software. Gruman writes the mobile and consumerization columns for
InfoWorld, and he was a pioneer in the use of personal computing and desktop publishing
technologies in the mid-1980s.
BEAM: The author does not show any bias. This book gives facts and is a guide to agents that
are interested in implementing technology into their business.

5) Oppong, T. (2017, December 20). Technology is Changing The Real Estate Industry. Here's
What You Should Know. Retrieved from https://alltopstartups.com/2017/12/20/technology-is-
changing-the-real-estate-industry-heres-what-you-should-know/
Content: Technology has begun to change almost every industry, not excluding the real estate
industry. As the real estate industry embraces the ever-evolving technological changes, this will
have a huge impact on both buyers and sellers. The internet has had a huge impact as it has
been reshaping the industry altogether. The expansion of mobile technology has made it easier
and more convenient for everyone involved in the home buying process. Two of the biggest
challenges for businesses in the real estate industry is staying ahead of the competition in the
face of rapid change and meeting consumer expectations.
Author: Thomas Oppong is the founding editor of All Top Startups, a columnist at Inc.
Magazine, and a curator at Postanly.
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BEAM: Oppong is unbiased as he is stating facts about how technology has effected the
industry and how it will continue to.

6) Remley J, American Management Association. Make Million$ Selling Real Estate : Earning
Secrets of Top Agents. New York: AMACOM; 2005.
https://login.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/login?auth=shibb&url=https://search-ebscohost-
com.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=134103&site=eds-
live&scope=site. Accessed February 25, 2019.
Content: Remley asks the question, “How can technology make me an even better
communicator?” Technology is a tool that should be used by agents to improve their business,
Remley compares it to PEDs. There are two goals when it comes to the use of technology within
the business: more effectiveness and higher efficiency. Remley uses a quote that I found very
interesting, “Don’t be the mechanic, be the driver.” He uses the example that most humans use
cars and get to places but know nothing about them. So, what he is saying is that even though
you may not know much about technology you could still use it to better your business.
Author: Jim Remley is a proven leader in the fields of selling and real estate. Within two years
of obtaining his real estate license, he was listed in the top 1percent of Realtors(R) nationwide.
He has won multiple awards from RealtyU, the largest network of real estate educators in the
United States.
BEAM: Remley is bias towards technology and believes it plays a crucial role for success in
today’s society.

7) Sawyer, S., Wigand, R. T., & Crowston, K. (2005). Redefining Access: Uses and Roles of
Information and Communication Technologies in the US Residential Real Estate Industry from
1995 to 2005. Journal of Information Technology, 20(4), 213–223.
https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jit.2000049
Content: This article discusses three changes to the residential real estate industry because of
information and communication technologies. The first being a change in how residential real
estate does transaction, the second, changing roles for information, and the third is the changing
nature of intermediation. As discussed in most of my research articles, ICT has played a huge
role in evolving this industry.
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Author: Rolf Wigand is the Maulden-Entergy Chair and Distinguished Professor of Information
Science and Management at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Wigand is a researcher,
consultant and speaker in information management, electronic commerce, the development of IT
standards, and the strategic deployment of information and communication technology.
BEAM: The authors are taking an institutional perspective for studying the industrial-level
change.

8)Stults, R. (2015, April 21). A Brief History of Opening Our Homes to Total Strangers (aka the
Open House). Retrieved from https://www.realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/brief-history-of-
the-open-house/
Content: This article tells the history of real estate brokers. It goes back to when they first
started to become a thing and to around our current time period. It tells us that the first records
of home sales date back to the 1890s. In the early 1900s anyone was able to call themselves a
real estate broker without the proper licensing. A couple decades later real estate became a lot
more professional and the roots that we still use today started to develop.
Author: Rachel Stults is a deputy editor at realtor.com and co-host of the realtor.com podcast
"House Party". She covers all things real estate, including buying, selling, home decor, renting,
moving, and more.
BEAM: This article explains the history of the real estate profession by the decades which
makes it easy to follow. It was unbiased due to it being facts about the history of this industry. I
will be able to use this piece to explain what real estate was like before so many technological
advancements.

9) Thorsby, D. (2018, September 28). The Future of Real Estate – With Fewer Agents?
Retrieved from https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/the-future-of-real-estate-with-
fewer-agents
Content: With the addition of technology to the real estate industry, some argue that real
estate agents will become obsolete, while others believe the way real estate transactions are
closed will evolve. Technology will have an effect on data and service, transactions, and agents.
It is still crucial that buyers and sellers look at real estate transactions the same way and make a
sale or purchase that leaves them satisfied, no matter how much the industry changes or
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evolves.
Author: Devon Thorsby is the Real Estate editor at U.S. News and World Report, where she
writes consumer-focused articles about the homebuying and selling process, home
improvement, tenant rights, and the state of the housing market.
BEAM: Thorsby is bias and thinks that buyers and sellers have to continue with the current
process of buying and selling homes.

10) Tollefsen, R. (2019, January 24). How the Real Estate Industry is Influenced by Technology.
Retrieved from https://www.kapre.com/resources/real-estate/how-the-real-estate-industry-is-
influenced-by-technology/
Content: For better or worse, technology has changed the world around us, including the way
business is transacted. There is no doubt the real estate industry has benefitted from this
change. However, even tech enthusiasts are able to see that the integration of more
technology does have a downside. No matter the differing opinions regarding technology,
everyone is able to agree that there is now no going back to the time before technology was
used. It is now crucial for agents to “stay ahead of the game.”
Author: Ryan Tollefsen is the founder and team leader of Unity Home Group. Ryan specializes
in negotiating offers, marketing, managing the team, setting goals and achieving them.
BEAM: This article is pretty much on the neutral side. The author believes that there is no
turning back now and if agents fall behind technology they could suffer, however if they go with
it, they could see great success.

11) White, S. (2018, November 08). Will Real Estate Agents Be Made Obsolete by 2025?
Retrieved from https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/real-estate-agents-obsolete/
Content: The technology shift in the real estate industry is likely to be one of the biggest and
most impactful yet. It is now essential for real estate agents to separate themselves from the
pack and deliver value to their customers in order to still be needed by the consumer at all. To
do this, they must be as efficient as possible, be able to anticipate change, and be able to add
value other than just making offers and advertising properties. As of right now, agents are still
needed to manage paperwork as well as act as a buffer from liability, however, it is possible this
may be streamlined by technology someday as well.
Author: Sterling White is an investor and business owner on a mission to make the world a
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better place through principled and efficient real estate investment. He is now the co-founder
of Holdfolio.
BEAM: This article has good things to say about the future of real estate agents, however he
does mention they could one day see the end. He gives great points of why agents are still
needed today.

12) Xavier Dean Realty launches new real estate brokerage to emphasize technology and
simplify fee model for California agents. Marketing Weekly News.
https://login.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/login?auth=shibb&url=https://search-ebscohost-
com.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgbe&AN=edsgcl.563303030&site=eds-
live&scope=site. Published 2018. Accessed February 25, 2019.
Content: Xavier Dean Reality, a brokerage based out of California, launched a full-service,
remote-work model that supports agents with on-demand coaching, 100% commission, and
innovative technology. A service that costs a low, flat monthly fee that beats brokerage prices.
It is a game changing system that brings more flexibility, better tech, and less economic worry
for the agents.
Author: New Article Posted by Marketing Weekly News
BEAM: This is an unbiased article as it explains the new launch of Xavier Dean Reality’s new
game changing service.