Real estate agents depend heavily on telecom networks to communicate with clients and pursue leads. Any disruptions can bring business to a screeching halt.

So it’s important that brokerages safeguard their Internet connectivity — especially in an era when many services rely on cloud-based technology.

“Broadband bonding” is one network technology that may prove particularly useful in helping brokerages hedge against line disruptions.

The technology digitally bonds DSL and cable lines to link together the telecom lines of company branch offices and headquarters.

Branch offices often depend on their headquarters for access to telephone lines and cloud-based services, like customer management systems. So brokerages often pay for connectivity that is more reliable and efficient than consumer-grade Internet connections. 

Broadband bonding does more to safeguard interoffice networks than other services, said Cahit Akin, CEO of broadband bonding provider Mushroom Networks. That’s because it uses multiple Internet connections to sustain a companywide network. Other services typically use just one, Akin said.