What is HTML5 and why should I care as an agent.

We are going to try and take a highly technical topic and make is simple and easy to understand.

HTML is an acronym that stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is the programming language of the Internet, and it has been around since the internet first started.

Over the past two years, the latest version of this language, HTML5 came into use by programmers, and it is changing the Internet in magnificent ways.

Since you are unlikely to be a programmer, you only need to focus on what benefits you would receive if you have a website built in HTML5.

First Benefit – It does a lot of cool things that make your website attractive without the use of plugins. A plug-in is extra software that you install into your browser program to make it do extra stuff.

Many of the features of an agent website require plugins – like a flash player to scroll through images, javascript plugins for online forms and animations, plugins also allow your videos and sound to play.

With HTML5, plugins are not required! The base programming language makes it all happen for you.

Second Benefit – It works on every new browser and mobile device. This is important because a lot of consumers are using weird browsers and all kinds of mobile devices to access Internet sites. Most mobile devices do not allow plugins at all (like the iPhone) so your site does not work if you use the cool features you have today require plugins.

• Your website will work the same way on all of the newest web browser versions very well. IE 9.0, Firefox 4.0, Chrome 6.0, Safari, and Opera

• Your website will work the same way on any mobile browser – windows mobile, iOS Safari, Android, Blackberry, etc.

The most obscure thing about HTML5 is geolocation. Before HTML5, websites detected where you were accessing the website by looking at your internet address, and they could get as close as your city area. HTML5 uses GPS and wi-fi signals to figure out where you are. You have probably seen this work on your smartphone with Google Maps – where the map can find you.

The best thing that you will notice is that HTML5 is really, really fast.

If you are looking for a new website to last you awhile, you may want to start asking for HTML5.