It can be tough to keep up with the rapid pace of technology sometimes, but the residential construction industry is not going to be left behind. Especially when it comes to giving you information about the latest development projects in your city.

By now, you’ve probably seen a QR code-a Quick Response code. They are square barcodes that can be scanned by a smartphone such as a BlackBerry or iPhone, and the code tells your phone which website to load. Instantly, you are viewing a website, and in the case of our industry, a ton of project information.

For the high-rise sector of the industry, these QR codes allow potential purchasers the chance to take virtual tours of condominium foyers, individual units and even see the view from a floor that hasn’t even been built yet. For the low-rise sector, a QR code that is placed with a newspaper advertisement for model homes can provide potential purchasers with more information about the builder and their other projects nearby. There’s even an emerging marketing use for the bar codes in the existing stock of homes around the GTA, and I’ll bet you’re going see more and more realtors using them on for Sase signs so people strolling by can take an open-house-like tour on their own time.

There is buzz out there that these new barcodes are just another trend and that marketers will move onto the next thing soon enough. Well, I say whether it’s a passing fad or here to stay, these QR codes are a great tool that gets information about the development industry and all of the latest projects into the palm of your hand.

Stephen Dupuis is the President and CEO of the Building Industry & Land Development Association.