On the ride from McCarran International Airport to the Stratosphere hotel, my cab driver, who learned I was in Las Vegas to report from a real estate perspective on the International Consumer Electronic Show (CES), said, "These guys have been promising us smart homes for 25 years now. There's no new news here, it's all a pipe dream!"

After decades of waiting, consumers are no longer dreaming about owning a Marty McFly-type home. Some, like Michael J.Fox in Back to the Future, are rising to alarm clocks in their bedrooms that tell them the weather outside, bathroom lights that turn on when they get out of bed, a flat-panel TV and media center affixed to the wall attuned to the day's news and running stock quotes and coffee and toast pre-prepared in the kitchen. As they leave for work, their garage door openers automatically prepare the security and lighting systems for the day and night to follow. Simply put, the "smart home" of the future is here now!

"A network does not mean just connecting PCs, it can cover the whole house and while it increases productivity, it also allows entertainment, comfort and security," said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), who forecasted industry sales to top $101 billion in 2004 during his annual State of the International CES. "A whole-house network is formed when a variety of non-PC products are installed around the house and communicate with each other and/or the PC, using either wired or wireless connections. And, ideally, broadband Internet access plays a supporting role, providing a portal to downloadable music, videos, images and other content that can be distributed and used throughout the home," Shapiro added.

Meeting consumer needs and demands via specialized products and services is nothing new to the real estate professional. But, understanding who technology consumers are and what they want present new opportunities and challenges for real estate agents. The following will examine how the technology consumer "thinks" when making purchasing decisions and provide a brief look at the application categories transforming the "smart home" market.

Technology Consumers

The CEA-commissioned study, "Five Consumers to Watch: An In-Depth Look at Emerging Consumer Groups in the CE Marketplace,"provides a comprehensive profile of five technology personas and sorts each consumer by their underlying beliefs and needs.

The five are:

1. Tech-Optimists (21 percent of the market): Confident consumers who consider themselves innovators and are frequently sought out for advice. They own the widest variety of electronic products. They are more likely to be male, are younger and more upscale. (When tech-optimist home buyers ask you about a home's wired and wireless capabilities will you be ready?)

2. Tech-Savvy Consumers (22 percent of the market): Sophisticated users who are knowledgeable about products and get the facts before buying. While heavy users of technology, they are more focused on practical applications than pure entertainment. (Tech-savvy consumers will most certainly surf real estate Web sites before buying. Is your site providing practical applications or knowledge?)

3. Repressed Consumers (21 percent of the market): Have-nots who find technology offers a variety of experiences such as entertainment and learning. However, they are uncomfortable using technology, need reassurance and have affordability issues. They tend to be lower income, less educated and more likely to live in small towns (Repressed consumers sound like first-time buyers who seek the advice of professionals who understand quality of life issues outside, and inside, the home).

4. Potential Converts (16 percent of the market): Marginal consumers of technology, but when they shop, they stick with trusted brands and reliability. (Potential converts seek reliability and brand recognition, sound familiar?).

5. Tech-Resistors (20 percent of the market): People who see little benefit to technology and are unwilling to try new products. These consumers are older, less educated and have the lowest income (For those whose niche is seniors, simplicity, reliability and trust work wonders with Tech-resistors).

"America loves technology. Over two out of three adults in the United States agree with statements that would indicate technology delivers information that improves their daily lives, is mentally stimulating, gives them control and offers freedom of mobility," the report states.

Of particular interest to the real estate community, the report added, "Despite a boom in the Internet and new consumer technologies, human relationships still matter when doing business."

It's these human relationships between real estate agents and tech-savvy home buyers that are changing, and will do so at a greater pace. Why? More and more home-owning Americans are getting "connected." Consider these statistics from Parks Associates, a premier market research and consulting firm focused on all product and service segments that are digital or provide connectivity within the home.