Let’s face it – technology is an important part of our daily lives, and the real estate industry is not exempt. The pandemic forced a lot of people to find alternative methods to traditional home showings, and social media and review websites have changed the way we do referrals. If you’re entering the real estate world, there are a few must-have tech basics that you should have.
Social Media
Social media has completely changed how we run our lives. It’s how we get news, stay connected with friends, and most importantly, learn about new products and businesses. Real estate agents aren’t exempt from this, and if you use social media right, it can help get you more business.
Posting on social media is a free, easy way to get your name out there. Careers of all kinds have been made from going viral thanks to a mix of clever marketing, timing, and luck. However, you don’t need to become the next TikTok sensation for it to benefit your career.
Posting on social media, when done right, can bring in new clients. We live in a very visual world, so posting beautiful photos of the properties you’re selling on Instagram and using the right hashtags can quickly draw attention. Having a Facebook page gives potential buyers the option to read reviews while satisfied clients have an easy way to refer you to friends.
Virtual Reality
People have become more careful with their time. Schedules get busy, so it’s to both the potential buyers and your benefit that time is used efficiently. This is why virtual reality, from home staging to property tours, has grown so popular.
It’s easy to see why, too. With virtual reality, potential buyers can experience in-depth, 3D virtual tours of a house from the comfort of their computer. This frees up travel time for them, and time in your own schedule as you don’t need to block time out of your own day to show them around.
You can also use virtual reality to stage the home, meaning you don’t need to spend money buying or storing furniture for in-person home viewing. It also makes it easier to keep up changing trends, as you can change the staged furniture to suit current tastes with just a click of a button.
Virtual tour options with a house listing are becoming the key to selling a house fast. In fact, Matterport reports that potential buyers are 95% more likely to enquire about a home sale that has a 3D virtual tour, and 20% made an offer after just the virtual tour.
Video Calls
Whether it’s Zoom, Google Hangouts, or some other option, video calls have become the go-to for scheduled meetings. It’s easy to see why, as for the busy house seeker, they can attend multiple appointments in a single day without leaving their home.
For the real estate agent, it’s just as convenient to schedule meetings, whether it’s for several different properties of multiple potential buyers for one. Both sides can avoid traffic and travel time, making the meetings more efficient and with minimal disruption to their day.
Technology changes the landscape of any industry, so if you’re in the real estate business, you’ll want to keep up. Pay attention to the latest technological breakthroughs and trends, determine which ones are here to stay, and use them to your advantage.
Categorised in: Real Estate Technology