This week we talked with Robin Perry, who's been a Realtor for three years and works with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Douglasville.

Q: How has technology changed the landscape for buyer and sellers?

A: Buyers have more information available, especially photos, so they can really visualize the homes they're considering. Virtual tours and slide shows let them "walk" through the home to get a feel for it before they take the time (and gas) to drive around. Sellers benefit from electronic market reports helping to keep them informed.

Q: How has technology changed the way Realtors do business?

A: It saves us time! I can preview homes via the Internet without driving around all day. At Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, our LeadRouter system converts e-mail messages to voice allowing me to respond almost instantly to online inquiries. Technology gives me more creativity to showcase listings. The Internet and e-mail give me the ability to broadcast information about a home to the neighborhood, the metro area or the world with the push of a button.

Q: What advice would you give to buyers and sellers about using the new technologies?

A: Use the "chat" feature to ask questions. Use Google Earth to see what's around the neighborhood. Have fun with it. When you find "the perfect home," cut out pictures of your family and paste them onto the photo of your new home. Now you have an announcement you can send to friends or family and say, "This will be our new home!" And always remember that you will need a good negotiator/advocate/counselor when buying or selling and that will be a "real" person with experience, knowledge and expertise in real estate.