Scores of local realtor organization leaders have been talking about the importance of technology in the industry for some time now, and presenters have tried to emphasize that sentiment with speeches at conventions, trade shows and seminars. But for those who haven’t quite gotten the message, the national organization’s highest-ranking professional visited Boston last week to hammer home the issue.

“Technology is not a threat; it is a tool that will help you build a stronger relationship with your client,” said Terrence M. McDermott, executive vice president for the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Realtors.

In what was believed to be the first time a NAR EVP has visited Boston in recent history, McDermott spoke to the Massachusetts chapter of Certified Residential Specialists on the future of real estate in the new millennium. The event took place at the Starr Center.

According to McDermott’s observations, the recent emergence of new technologies in the real estate marketplace has created two camps within the Realtor organization.

On one hand, he said several Realtors nationwide have been quickly adapting to changes. For example, he said response to NAR’s e-Pro designation, announced this year, has been strong.

“We rolled e-Pro out on May 1, and we’ve already had 15,000 people sign up for it. That rate of adoption is pretty high,” he said. Though 15,000 is just a fraction of the estimated 750,000 Realtors nationwide, McDermott said the figure is encouraging.

But on the other hand, McDermott said the rate of adaptation to new technology by other Realtors is somewhat disheartening. “The real trauma is being suffered by those Realtors who still think access to information is the name of the game,” he said, explaining that Internet access to home listings nationwide have eliminated the days where “Realtors would keep their [multiple listing service] books locked up in the trunks of their cars.”

McDermott said he had also heard from brokers of large real estate offices that a large number of agents were taking sometimes two days or longer to respond to e-mail inquiries from potential clients, a practice he said should not be happening in today’s marketplace.

“If you don’t get back to them by the close of the business day, you’ve most likely lost a customer,” McDermott said. “Sadly, most of us don’t [get back to them].

“If you’re not going to respond quickly, don’t put yourself out there on the Internet in the first place. You’re just burning up resources,” he continued. “You have to be quick to adapt to technology in a day where there are people driving down Commonwealth Avenue that have more technology in their car than a lot of grammar schools have in their library.”

To date, he said the Realtor’s greatest asset in the realm of technology has been Realtor.com. “It’s one of the best things we’ve done as an organization,” McDermott said of the Web site. Last month the site attracted 4.5 million unique visitors, and NAR expects that number to jump to 7 million per month as a result of a new partnership with America Online.

Now, McDermott said, NAR is ready to make another step forward with the launch of the eRealtor.com Internet-based electronic transaction platform, which is expected at the upcoming NAR national convention in San Francisco next month.

“This is the next great innovation,” he said. By putting most or all of the elements of the real estate deal together on one system, “We could save the consumer 40 to 50 percent of the cost of closing. That’s very important for a first-time buyer. That’s very important even for me.”

Combining elements on one platform would also save time, he said. “Why is it that you can buy a $75,000 Mercedes in an hour … but for a $400,000 house in Boston it takes 54 days?” McDermott asked.

As further evidence of NAR’s emphasis on technology in the new millennium, when asked about what the national association is doing to reach out to buyers who are not on the Internet, McDermott responded: “We haven’t really approached that. That’s one of the few things that are not part of our agenda.”

Legislative Agenda
The NAR head also took time to speak about legislative issues on both the national and state level that are affecting the real estate industry. One of the biggest wins of the past year, he said, was the passing of the so-called e-signature bill, which allowed electronic signatures to carry the same validity as written signatures. The law officially went into effect Oct. 1. Widespread implementation of the law, however, may take some time as Realtors, mortgage companies and registries of deeds adjust to the new technology.

“What the federal law says and what’s going to happen down at the Norfolk County Courthouse is a different question,” said McDermott, a former Wellesley resident.

Also, NAR is continuing to advocate for legislation that protects electronic database information on the Internet, such as listings in Realtor.com, from piracy. “It’s critical to put content out on the Internet, but if people can stretch the law and take your listings, it might be something that brings down e-commerce,” McDermott said, citing that music download site Napster.com as one example where ownership of material is being debated in the courts.

With the formal session winding down on Capitol Hill, McDermott said NAR will continue to advocate for many bills, but has already started looking forward to working with the 107th Congress. Issues NAR currently is eyeing include redevelopment of Brownfields sites and allowing health insurance premiums for the self-employed to be tax-deductible.

Depending on how the November election turns out, McDermott said Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry could end up as chair of the Housing Subcommittee. He added that several members of the Masachusetts delegation, including Kerry, have been supportive of NAR’s housing agenda. “Keep sending us these good people [in Washington], you’re doing a heck of a job,” he said.

NAR is also working on smart growth issues at the national level, but told the audience of Realtors that those issues are mostly state and local. The association plans on publishing a magazine dealing with smart growth issues that Realtors can use when working with smart growth locally.