Commercial Real Estate Technology Trends for Agents
In commercial real estate agency today we have many technology tools and systems that make our job as agent or broker very easy. That being said, we need to use those tools to the fullest of their advantage. The main reason prospects and clients will do business with us is because they respect us and know that our skills are relevant to their property needs. The technology tools help us with the connection process.
All the prospecting and client contact systems that we put into place today can be largely automated and extremely professional in doing so; you just need to know how each of the tools work and build your prospecting and client contact systems around them.
Today it is really easy for you to be doing business and prospecting just about anywhere you can get a good telephone signal. When you have a free moment between meetings you can make a few more prospecting calls. That is why you must link your mobile telephone to your database in some way.
Many agents have their telephone contact list or database linked to the ‘cloud’ through iPhone or Android operating platforms. In that way they can access their contact and prospect details anywhere and at any time. Make your database convenient and in that way you will be more inclined to use it.
Here are some systems that work very well for real estate agents. You may already be using some of them, and others you can add to your processes.
- Put your database online and link it back to your mobile telephone and or tablet computer.
- Use your telephone voice mail to filter people into convenient times of response.
- Emails can be copied from your server to your mobile telephone. At any time you can stay in touch with your emails and check them for important issues and negotiation updates.
- Email newsletters with new listings and market updates should be created weekly and sent to your database (providing they ‘opted-in’ to receive that information).
- Auto-responders can be used on your email system to tell people of your absence and expected response time. Only respond to urgent emails during the day. Most emails can wait till the end of the day when all of your prospecting and negotiation issues are under control.
- Websites can be fully utilised with property listings and market updates. Get your name onto many property listings and write articles about your local property market. Improve your website for search engine exposure with regular freshly written content.
- Article writing can also be extended to online ‘article submission’ sites. There are some good articles sites that will help give your market updates some very good exposure. That will then help with your personal ‘search engine’ exposure.
- Press releases can be written and put online. It’s an easy process and simple to do.
- Blogs should be written by any serious and professional agent or broker. Blogs help show your relevance and market presence, in addition to any listings you may have.
- Social media tools should be used. You do not need many, but you should do it very well. Your blogs and your newsletters should be linked back to your social media actions and lists.
So how many of these things do you do now? Can you improve or cover some of those issues in a better way? Don’t forget to market yourself; that’s what this industry is all about.