Every industry has experienced its own form of disruption produced by technology, and up until a few years ago, real estate seemed to be the least affected. But, given the fact that real estate is proved to be the largest commodity in the world, it was about time agents started using technology to its full capacity.
Today, technology is able to touch nearly every aspect of the real estate industry, from the way people prospect neighborhoods through drone footage, up to the way they purchase homes online, without the need to even meet the current homeowners.
If you are a real estate agent, and you are still doubting that technology can take your business to an entirely new professional level, maybe the information below will help change your mind.
Virtual property tours with VR
Property tours are probably the most time-consuming and nerve-wracking stage of the home-buying process, for both realtors and buyers. Besides looking for a house, clients have their own jobs and life to take care of, so finding the best time to meet with them and prospect houses can sometimes appear to be impossible. But if you were to include VR technology in your services, that won’t be a problem anymore.
VR allows potential buyers to check out a house before buying it, without the need to even be there. With 3D virtual tours, they can enter a house, check out every room to see if they have the necessary space, take a look at the garden, to see if a pool and a barbecue corner can feet, as well as tour the neighborhood.
Although VR technology for real estate is still in its infancy, it won’t be long until clients get to tour tens of houses in just a short visit to your office, or from the comfort of their own home.
Better client relationship with CRM software
In the world of real estate, keeping in touch with clients, managing referrals and generating leads, are on the daily to-do list of every agent. But because most of these actions are done manually, or with little help from automated tools, they can often turn out to be rather counterproductive. This is why agents need CRM software to properly keep track of their clients and make sure they prospect each and every lead they get.
A good CRM software like IXACT Contact will help you not only capture leads from all your platforms, but you can also delegate work to your team of agents, making sure no phone number or email address is left uncontacted. The, you can keep a record of the conversations and set reminders to follow up later, based on what you discuss with the prospects. This way, you will ensure that no lead is left uncontacted and that you explore each and every possibility.
Improved data management with Cloud technology
Cloud technology seems to be the next big thing lately, with more and more industries benefiting from its advantages. For real estate, switching to the cloud, instead of keeping all your data on a personal computer can save you time, money, and prevent unfortunate events from happening.
First of all, you get to access all your data from any device, as long as you have an internet connection. This means that, even when you are on the go, you can quickly take out your phone and look over the client info one last time before the meeting.
Enhanced security is another advantage of cloud integration. This means you won’t ever have to worry that sensitive information about your clients, private deals, or exclusive, off-market houses that you only keep for your high-end clients may be leaked.
Smart contracts and the blockchain
Although blockchain technology is still in its kindergarten years, we can see how it will shortly make its way into the real estate industry as well. Blockchain has the potential to do much more than you can think, and only provide benefits to both businesses and clients.
Through smart contracts, you can ensure that all transactions are secure and transparent, without the need to contact other third parties. The buyer can simply submit an encrypted block, that includes all their information, such as contact details, requirements and budget directly to you. Then, you can go ahead and submit your list of proposals to them. The deal is sealed when both parts of the contract fulfill their duties. This will speed up the process and leave little to no chance of fraud.
Improved visibility with smart marketing
To market your properties to the right people, you need to take into consideration a lot of things. Families of three, for example, will be interested in larger properties, while couples will mostly be looking for a one-bedroom apartment. Browse these Gilbert apartments and if you are planning to move to the area, you might find your dream home. With smart marketing, you can be sure that, based on demographics, your ads will only reach those clients that have the most potential to be turned into buyers. Through email newsletters and smart ads on social media, you can set up a marketing campaign with huge ROI potential.
Some real estate agents have also developed their own apps, where clients can scan QR codes from sales signs and get full details of the property. This way, you eliminate the need for countless phone numbers. When a client passes by a house they are interested in, they can simply scan the code, download the app, and check out all information with just a few clicks. Then, they can contact you to schedule a meeting.
