As technology advances, so does the opportunity to accomplish more things, faster. Technological advances have allowed for growth and productivity in nearly every industry, except perhaps real estate.
One editorialist posits that startups are making real estate businesses more efficient, and while I believe this can be true, I also believe startups are making business more difficult. Allow me to explain; while there are certainly a wide range of apps and businesses seeking to assist real estate professionals in particular, they also come with a several caveats.
First, to successfully integrate a new technology into the office, or your own business, you need to decide from the thousands of available apps and startups, which one will be most effective for your sales style and environment. This alone can take up a great deal of time and effort.
Brokerages with the best data ultimately make the most money, but how do you decide which data is “the best?” Your business can absolutely benefit from faster and more reliable data, but it is imperative you find an option that fits your budget, as well as your data needs. Which brings us to the second caveat: there will be the added expense of whichever program you choose to use.
Herein lies the problem, as TC so aptly worded it, “The average residential real estate agent spends very little time at his or her desk. Every minute spent sending marketing collateral or pulling listings information is time that could have been spent with sellers and buyers closing homes, which is ultimately how realtors get paid.”
Engaging productivity apps, such as appointment reminders, time management apps, and automated email responses for when you just do not have time to pen an individual response can save you time and money, but deciding which app to use for things like contracts, data analytics, and work collaboration can be time consuming and actual take away from your workflow productivity.
Suggestion: if what you’re doing is working, keep doing it.
If you feel like there are some areas that could benefit from mobile technology, or other startups, pencil in time to take a look at what’s available, as well as, asking friends and colleagues for their recommendations. To successfully integrate new technology, it should enhance what you’re already doing. Given the sheer number of startups, selecting an effective program can be overwhelming. This isn’t to say there aren’t a number of startups that are absolutely useful.
I fervently believe in the benefit of technology in the real estate profession, however, I also believe that no single program is going to give you the magical fairy dust to sell a home without first building those critical personal relationships.
Technology can help you keep in touch and remain productive, but it is not a replacement for personal, working relationships and embracing what’s already working for you. Never will be.
Jennifer Walpole is a Senior Staff Writer at The American Genius and holds a Master's degree in English from the University of Oklahoma. She is a science fiction fanatic and enjoys writing way more than she should. She dreams of being a screenwriter and seeing her work on the big screen in Hollywood one day.
