Have no doubt about it… 2008 has some big things in store for real estate and for home lending too.  From more foreclosures to tightening lending practices, this year could be one of the most memorable years we’ve had in a long time.  But in the world we live in today, where technology plays a bigger role than it ever has before, chances are good that the year in tech will trump even the most interesting non-technology happenings of the year when it comes to real estate.

New trends in real estate technology (or any technology, for that matter) are always hard to predict, it is safe to assume we’ll see some of these things happen in 2008…

Real Estate Will Embrace More Tech – I know this might seem like a no brainer, but as society grows more and more dependent on technology and internet based technology especially, real estate’s use of technology will increase be a very large percentage – even just this year alone.  Expect to see the use of video skyrocket as the barriers to entry and ease of video creation now equal the level of still digital photography.  In 2008, offline real estate marketing will continue to shrink while the use of the web to promote properties goes mainstream, even among the most adamant embracers of non-technology.

Growing Reliance On Google – Google is growing monstrously huge in importance to all industries these days.  While there are some detractors and naysayers of the internet giant, it’s clear that 2008 will only bring us to be more reliant on mighty Google.  If the trend is going to reverse, I just don’t think it’s going to happen this year.  After all, real estate is finding more and more practical use for Google Maps and Google Base.  And don’t forget – the arrival of a real gPhone is probably just around the corner.

Social Networking Skyrockets – As social networking continues to grow up, so will its use by professionals.  MySpace has found its niche among teens and musicians.  Facebook has a little bit more potential for real estate.  LinkedIn might have the most potential for real estate yet.  But I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the emergence of real estate specific social networking become widely accepted.  After all, real estate is a big enough niche to make it worthwhile.  If the right platform isn’t already in existence, 2008 will probably be the year it happens.

Again, it’s hard to guess where technology is going… Just when the next big thing seems to be a no brainer, we seem to swerve and go in a whole new direction.  The only sure thing is that 2008 will see plenty of action when it comes to real estate technology – we’ll just have to wait and see exactly what kind of action it ends up being!