The buzz is escalating about the “Internet of Things.” The
catchphrase refers to the next wave of technology but also to a
mindset, one that’s already evident in the moment a four-year-old
tries to operate a paperbound book by tapping on an illustration.
The concept behind the Internet of Things, or “Io T” (also
known as the “Cloud of Things” or “real world web”), is that we’ll
rely on actual computers less and less over the next decade as
technological interfaces are woven directly into products.
“The next generation is not going to understand computers as
separate things,” says technology consultant and author Chris-
tina Kerley. “When a lightbulb burns out in their house, they’re
going to wonder why it didn’t give them a heads-up.”
Tech watchers say 2015 is the year Io T will start to go main-
stream. Indeed, many products already whir constantly in the
background of our lives, gathering information on us and the
environment. Increasingly, devices will make connections with
each other, transferring data and coming to conclusions about
how they should operate based on that data. “We are looking at
re-instrumenting the physical world, [and] 2015 through 2020 are
going to be transformative,” Kerley says.
Io T tools—at a rudimentary stage today—have yet to
gain a significant foothold in real estate, but the potential for
game-changing progress, along with disruption, is huge. Think of
Io T in 2015 as analogous to the Internet in 1995. Over time, technology advances have taught us that we could part with certain
aspects of our privacy and autonomy. But concerns are mounting
that the coming decade may see security breaches and leaks of
private information on a scale that was never before possible.
HOW IoT WORKS
Smart home devices that record and transmit data are already
creating a buzz in the marketplace. Perhaps the most familiar
such product is the Nest thermostat (made by a company recently
purchased by Google), which can be controlled from a smartphone
but over time learns a household’s schedule. Nest settings can be
operated by individual users (who can set baselines for water or
electricity use) and integrated with data from institutional hubs
like the National Weather Service or a city’s electrical grid. Such
devices can serve as a helpful go-between for consumers and
municipal smart grids, moderating energy use at peak times to
minimize service disruptions. For example, Nest marries its understanding of a household’s habits with data about energy use to
make decisions about the best time to run a load of laundry.
Beacon technology is another facet of the Io T world. Beacons
are small devices, usually powered by Bluetooth, that can be
mounted virtually anywhere. They transmit information to nearby
receptors (often a mobile device that is set up to receive Bluetooth
data). Beacons can be used to track the movements of people in
a home—perhaps to automatically turn lights to a specific preset
when a particular person enters the room or to transmit informa-
tion about the activities of an older adult to a caregiver outside the
home.
MAKING HOME BUYING
SMARTER
With the help of beacon technology, house hunting could require a
lot less e;ort in the near future. Buyers looking at real-time listings
broadcast on a brokerage’s Internet-enabled window display could
be asked if they want to have a video of a certain property sent to
them, for example. An early version of this technology exists in
an app from Realty Beacon LLC. The Je;ersonville, Ind.–based
company pairs Apple’s iBeacon devices with For Sale signs. Daniel
Island Real Estate in Charleston, S.C., partnered with Realty Bea-
con to produce a branded version of the app for its high-end de-
velopment. Because the community doesn’t allow For Sale signs,
the beacons are usually mounted on a home’s front porch. The
lack of For Sale signs can present a challenge to buyers, says Julie
Dombrowski, Daniel Island Real Estate communications director,
but the beacons present “an interesting opportunity to circumvent
that. It gives buyers a way to explore the island on their own.”
Though modern beacon technology was developed only a few
years ago, it’s already being used to augment home tours. Avid
Ratings, a customer loyalty management firm for homebuilders
based in Madison, Wis., launched an updated version of its home
tour software at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas
in January. Called Go Tour Onsite, the new version uses beacon
technology to enable house hunters to tour a model home on their
REALTORMAG. REALTOR.ORG REALTOR® MARCH/APRIL 2015 27
