50 Years Since The First Cellphone Call: A Tech Revolution That Is Still Shaping The Future – SlashGear

Martin Cooper’s breakthrough not only shaped how humans communicate with one another, but it changed history. Cooper told the Chicago Tribune (via Zoom): “Guess who were the first people who benefitted from the cellphone? Think about it for a second. Real estate agents do two things — show homes, or answer the phone when somebody wants to buy a home. The cellphone meant they could do both at the same time.” 

This novel workplace condenser meant that realtors were able to perform the entire scope of their work while out in the field, drastically improving their ability to make sales. On one hand, this likely skyrocketed the monetary earnings of early adopters within the profession.

However, there was also a sharp drop in the median home price to household income ratio from 1983 to 1984 (meaning homes became more affordable), while median prices themselves steadily rose throughout the 1980s. Perhaps, this is partially a function of a brand-new workplace communication tool positively impacting users’ lives.

Today, around two-thirds of all people in the world own a phone. This improves not only communication among family, friends, and colleagues, but also grants immediate access to information, entertainment, and even avenues for earning money — just like those early-adopting real estate agents 40 years ago.