What I want

Photo credit (and explanation)

I want to be a better listener.

It’s not just technology — it’s a cultural shift in how I (we) work. Technology is easy; how we accept and implement it is often the deal-killer.

The past few weeks have brought more technologically-savvy clients my way. Not unsurprisingly, both have used Google tools to help themselves (and me) Here’s what I want –

First – why Google? Because it’s free and accessible. Did they both seek out Realtors to help them relocate to my area? Yes.

The first buyers interviewed a couple of Buyers Agents and ended up selecting me. As part of the process, they emailed me a published Google Doc with their already-trimmed-down list of specifications – preferred location, what they want to be close to, what their needs and wants are and their “would like to haves.”

The second buyers, through the process of our working together and narrowing down their search area/criteria, emailed me a link one day to a Google My Map with the things that are important to them. Schools, gym, grocery store, specialty grocery store, kids’ activities – and oh, yeah – houses pulled from Google Base – were all on the map.

I want the consumer’s search to be as powerful as mine, while keeping all the protected information necessarily behind “Realtor” lines (lockbox codes for generic lockboxes, alarm codes, “seller is out of town,” etc.)

I want background checks on Realtors to validate their ability to keep safe said private information.

I want the search to allow overlays of important data – crime, Walk Score, GIS information, neighborhood boundaries, and more, and I want to be able to share that search with my clients, readers, customers – and allow them to better narrow their searches, thereby allowing me to help them best – by listening and interpreting and advising.

Good Realtors do more than just search for homes – interpretation, guidance, advice, negotiation – client representation – is far more specialized than search.