Will the Real Estate Agent be obsolete 20 years from now?

[Ryan P. Kotschedoff]

Hi BP, 

I am 16 years old and I plan to get into the real estate agent industry once I am of age to get my license. I have studied how to be a good RE agent for a little over a year now and I am about to be an intern for a brokerage in the upcoming months. I really enjoy the business and this is definitely the career I want to pursue, preferably I want to be in residential RE, but I am worried that apps might take over the industry. My question is, should I think about Commercial real estate instead or just stick with what I enjoy more which is residential? Since I am only 16, should I look for a different career that doesn't have the possibility of getting replaced by technology or just stick with it? A lot of people say that that the agent will never be replaced because they can provide more. So what can an agent provide that technology wont be able to do 20 years from now? Thanks for your time

[Russell Brazil]

Technology merely makes it so a real estate agent can be more efficient and more successful.   The vast majority of the populace are clueless and incredibly scared about going at a transaction without an agent.  With the average home owner staying in their home 8 years, I do not see this changing unlike things that are more of daily use like online shopping.