The U.S. real estate market is finally rebounding after years in decline. As an agent who’s getting busier with increasingly more business, it’s critical that you have the right tools and systems in place. Otherwise, staying organized and proactive repeatedly becomes a problem, and the ability to find time to build relationships with past clients and prospects turns into an arduous ordeal.
I speak with Realtors all the time who are resistant to new technology (and, hence, don’t understand it and how it can help them) and are doing the same things they’ve been doing for 20-plus years. But if you don’t embrace change, you don’t find out about new possibilities that you never thought were possible.
Here are three must-have technology tools for the modern, forward-looking Realtor:
1. A Real Estate CRM
Many Realtors simply don’t realize the impact a good real estate customer relationship management (CRM) system will have on their business if it’s used regularly. In fact, a real estate CRM is one of the best investments agents can make in their career. Most IXACT Contact customers see at least a 13 percent return for every 100 people in their real estate database/CRM that they market to. They see more transactions because past clients are coming back to use their services and because these past clients refer others to them more often.
These agents use their CRM to send their clients a monthly real estate e-newsletter, set prospects up on drip marketing campaigns, send out “Just Listed” and “Just Sold” e-fliers and much, much more. It’s all about relationship building.
It’s important to note that the best CRMs (the forward-looking ones) give you the ability to wirelessly and instantaneously sync your address book, calendar and task list to the built-in applications on your smartphone and tablet. This way, you can have access to critical information on the road and save a ton of time from not having to enter in information two or three times (once on your computer and another on your smartphone or tablet).
2. A Tablet
A tablet, like an iPad or the new Surface from Microsoft, is another must-have technology tool for Realtors, and one I believe the majority of agents will have in the future.
Why? Because Realtors are constantly on the road and tablets are light, portable and capable of performing powerful functions that a smartphone simply can’t. For instance, it can be a big asset in assisting with listing presentations, showcasing clients’ high-definition property photos, signing and sending documents and sharing listing details on the go.
3. A Strong Web Presence
A lot of people searching for a Realtor or a new home will search for one on Google. And if you don’t have a website, you’re not going to be found by these people and will miss innumerable opportunities for new business.
That’s not all. Most people nowadays Google search the professionals they are thinking about working with. If you don’t have a website, you’re essentially telling the world that you’re not “up-to-date” with technology. You’re also missing out on the chance to impress people, give them an overview of who you are and what you do, and provide them with testimonials.
A good website needs to be easy to navigate, have all the information people want to see (you can find great resources online about this), is well designed from an aesthetics standpoint, is search engine-optimized and includes a website lead capture form that integrates with your real estate CRM.
Matthew Collis is part of the Sales and Marketing Team at IXACT Contact Solutions Inc., a leading North American real estate CRM firm. In addition to overseeing many of IXACT Contact’s key sales and marketing programs, Collis works with REALTORS to help them achieve their goals through effective contact management and relationship marketing. IXACT Contact is a Web-based real estate contact management and marketing system designed to help Realtors get more referrals and manage the transaction side of their business.