It’s no secret that the real estate industry is one of the most competitive industries out there, and for agents to thrive in a competitive environment even in the midst of a pandemic, they need to make the most of the tools available to them.
While there’s no shortage of solutions for agents to leverage, the number of options can be overwhelming, however, by focusing on the three tools for real estate agents outlined below, you can fasttrack your ability to help buyers find the homes of their dreams.
Setup A Customer Relationship Management System
Customer relationship management systems (CRMs) are invaluable for real estate agents because they enable them to track leads and even set follow-up reminders, log tasks, and file notes taken during calls or meetings. By having all this information on hand, you can engage with homeowners and homebuyers throughout all stages of their journey. If they aren’t ready immediately, you can make a note to follow up later on.
There’s no shortage of CRM solutions on the market today. Rather than focusing on choosing the right brand, what matters more is choosing one that seamlessly fits into your workflow, as opposed to trying to fit the requirements of a program.
Streamline Digital Communications
Video conferencing used to be something limited to the realm of science fiction, however today it’s become the way that business is primarily done. Even as vaccines become more readily available, video conferencing solutions such as Zoom can help you work more effectively by enabling you to have initial consultations with buyers and sellers remotely cutting down on travel times. Once you get to the stage of the home buying/selling process that requires in-person interaction, you can always coordinate when the time comes.
In addition to video calls, Zoom also offers phone services so you can have your business line forward to your cell phone and office line so you’re always reachable via a single phone number.
Level Up Your Virtual Showings
Continuing with the theme of making your work as an agent more manageable, we’re now going to touch on ways to level up your virtual showings. While livestreaming walkthroughs of properties via Zoom, some agents have used solutions such as Matterport to create three-dimensional floor plans that buyers can tour. The solution, however, requires a large investment making it impractical for many.
A more cost effective option is to purchase a 3-D camera from your local electronics store. These generally only cost a couple hundred dollars, however they get the job done. Additionally, by using the camera during a live streaming session, you can answer questions and call out relevant aspects of the property in real-time.
Although the coronavirus pandemic has changed up the process of buying and selling homes, many agents nationally are seeing much more activity than they had during pre-pandemic times. To capitalize from the flurry of activity, you need to ensure that you’re focusing on closing deals, rather than on administrative aspects of running your office.