It wasn’t too long ago that if you were doing a research project, you had to head to the local public library, pour through stacks of books, write the report and then finally print it out to hand to your teacher or professor the day it was due.
Technology allows you to research any subject through the Internet, write the report and then email it to a teacher or professor with out even ever having to step foot in a classroom.
The Internet and technology has had the same impact on the home buying (and selling) experience.