March 2019

Get your Head IN the Cloud

Let’s start ground level first though. Without organization, you are more likely to be distracted by tech then have your business enhanced by it. What is at the heart of every real estate business? CLIENTS. Accessing customer data is more important than ever and with real estate, customer relationship management (CRM) is now easier and customizable.

By upgrading to cloud computing you’ll have full access to the real estate universe. “…many benefits of cloud property management software including time and cost savings, scalability, increased security and greater accessibility. Additionally, cloud-based systems like PropertyMe have client access which allows tenants and owners to log in and see their property and financial information 24/7, reducing the amount of communication required.” Silvia Liu, PropertyMe.

Check out Software Advice for the most comprehensive comparison available to find which one might be right for you. One of our faves is GoConnect, recommended by Inman, which features a sensible checklist app with impressive simplicity.

Push It Real Good

Push technology is nothing new, but instant notifications for real estate transactions are taking a leap in 2019. To keep customers returning and interested, send alerts to locked screens and other high traffic areas. Apps like Homepass make connecting and interacting with visitors to your Virginia real estate page simple and effective. Automated push notifications that provide customers with additional information expand any agent’s reach easily with integrated messaging, live activity feeds, and inbuilt location sharing.

The WOW Factor

To be a stand-out agent in the Hampton Roads area, you have to find what’s best for you and your clients and usually that’s getting them information when they need it. This means being in front of them no matter where you are physically.

Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google, Zillow, Waze… how can you be everywhere all at once? Homespotter’s Boost is one example of technology helping agents’ work faster. Boost automatically creates a social media ad by pulling in copy, images and even a Call to Action directly from your Virginia MLS.

Let’s talk AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality). These two technologies are HUGE in real estate since they make it possible to view a home without actually being anywhere near it.

Relocation is a big deal in Virginia. Having the largest Naval Base on the East Coast, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach get a lot of turnover. Winning listings can be easy when you use VR technology like Matterport which virtually map a home and can be shown on a desktop, mobile or VR goggles to give buyers near and far a look at the property.

Noteworthy

• BoxBrownie is a real estate agents “ace-in-the-hole” for bringing spaces to life with virtual staging, photo retouching, item removal, floor plan rendering and more.
• Realar helps builders and curious buyers immerse themselves in a home before it’s even built!
• Ikea makes home furnishing easy with the “try-before-you-buy” mentality using all their own products.
• Fall in love with Emma – email marketing with impressive designs and personlaized automations. This was one of Inman’s top tech of 2015 and still holds strong.
• For the agent that has it all… Nimble – another top Inman pick for CRMs. This impressive software can create customer personas to help expertly target and segment clients.
• LiveBy gives you all the neighborhood stats in one well designed package. This makes you the Alexa of Real Estate. Great Bridge, Kempsville, Hilltop, you name it, this software builds a page for it and makes it interactive (bringing the clients to you!) Show your clients each community you serve with nearby schools, average days on market, average rent and way more.

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE

Staying in the loop is half the battle! “Just because you CAN doesn’t mean you SHOULD” comes to mind when thinking about new tools. We encourage you to try new things, but you have full permission to delete things out of your work mix just as quickly as you uploaded them.

Sources:

Liu, Silvia. “Industry News: Top 10 Real Estate Tech Trends to Watch in 2019”. www.propertyme.com. Propertyme, 11 Jan 2019. Web. Accessed 11 Feb 2019. https://www.propertyme.com.au/blog/property-management/real-estate-tech-trends

Staff, ATTOM. “Attom insights: The Five Technology Trends that will Impact Real Estate (and the World) in 2018”. www.attomdata.com. ATTOM Data Solutions, 25 April 2018. Web. Accessed 11 Feb 2019. https://www.attomdata.com/news/attom-insights/the-five-technology-trends-that-will-impact-real-estate-and-the-world-in-2018/

Provided by Landmark Title, LLC a TitleQuest affiliate