The Real Estate Market in Europe is changing. This change is driven by two forces outside of the Real Estate industry. The strength of these forces are so strong however, that their impact on the Real Estate Industry is unavoidable. These two forces are technology and consumer pressure. More precisely, the Internet and consumer protection through regulation. The aim of this report is to consider these two forces and how they affect the way real estate agents conduct business today and how in the future, agents can adjust their working practice to benefit from the changing face of the market.

Most people have some experience of the internet. Surfing the web now competes with television in terms of number of hours spent each day. As it applies to a Real Estate business the internet is starting to become more and more important. A website is seen almost as a necessity today, although for reasons I will explain, the effectiveness of over 95% of individual company websites as a means of attracting clients is negligible or completely non-existent. Most traffic these websites receive comes via another form of advertising, be it newspapers, business cards or as a point of reference after initial contact has already been made with a potential client. This said, it is expected that within 5 years, 80% of all property transactions will be initiated through contact via the internet.