Consumer-centric multimedia technology will be a hot commodity for the real estate industry in 2006, say several brokerage company executives, and industry participants also have their sights set on improved lead management systems.

Improving the consumer experience through technology enhancements will be a continuing focus at GMAC Real Estate in the year ahead, said Lane Barnett, CEO for the company's Real Estate Franchise business unit. "What we're really trying to do is create an online experience similar to an offline experience," he said, and the company is looking at ways to improve lead management and transaction management that will benefit consumers.

"We've proven that we can generate leads to our Web sites. The real challenge this industry has right now is what to do with those leads," Barnett said, and it will likely take a mix of training and technology to improve the management of those leads

Robust Web-based transaction management systems, he said, are also vital to the company's strategy in offering a full range of real estate-related services to consumers, adding that this seamless offering of numerous services will likely become especially important as the market softens.

The appropriate gauge for new technology investments, Barnett said, is whether consumers will directly benefit. "Some technology that is brought to the table we think can be a distraction. Where it's not serving the customer we get a little skeptical."

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