Emerging Technology For Real Estate Agents

Emerging Technology For Real Estate Agents

 December 13, 2016

Technology in real estate can be as simple as a website and a smartphone or as complicated as dozens of apps, live-streaming your every move, and never using pen and paper again. No matter where you are in your business and what your comfort level is with technology, there’s always something new to try for your real estate business.

Whether you’re an agent who wishes you still had the old MLS books or you’re the broker who signs everything digitally, you can push your business to a new level with the strategic addition of technology. Check out just one or all of these options to grow your business.

Matterport

360 degree images, video, and an immersive online experience are no longer ideas for the future. They’re happening right now. Matterport, a company that offers 3D marketing for real estate professionals, brings all of these things into a 3D showcase for buyers in another state or another country to view a home online. Your buyers will be able to “walk” through a home and see it from any angle. They’ll feel like they’re in the space no matter where they are.

Periscope

Periscope has been around for a few years and is the predecessor to Facebook Live. The idea and technology is the same – live stream your video. Stream an open house, take people on a “tour” of the neighborhood, show off the sights and sounds of your area, and allow people to see it all in real-time. Periscope can be used in multiple spaces, like Twitter, or you can cultivate an audience directly through their website or app.

BombBomb

Remember the days when we were still excited to get an email? We read every word and responded immediately. That was a long time ago and now email has become an impersonal form of communication that is easy to misinterpret or ignore. BombBomb is a video email service that lets you send a video instead of text that might not be read. You can talk directly to your buyer or seller and become a real person to them. You’ll get your message across, and you won’t be ignored anymore.

Dotloop and DocuSign

Why are dotloop and DocuSign together? Because both options work together to make listing agreements, offers, addendums, and contracts easier to manage and get them signed and submitted faster. dotloop lets you organize and keep track all of your paperwork and everyone involved in the deal. You’ll be better organized and have everything you need at the touch of a button. DocuSign lets everyone sign electronically.

Virtual Staging Solutions

You know that a vacant home doesn’t always sell as quickly or get the amount of showings that a beautifully staged property does. But not every budget allows for a professional stager and all that furniture. With Virtual Staging Solutions, you can show a potential buyer what a home might look like without the expense, time, or effort of bringing in actual furniture. Send Virtual Staging Solutions photos you want “staged” and furniture or decor specifications, and they’ll send back beautiful images you can show off to potential buyers.

You don’t have to try every new tech that you hear about, and you don’t have to try all of these at once. Start slow and choose one thing you think can help your business. Once you see how well that works, try something new. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can catch the technology bug and how much your business can improve when you make tech savvy strategic choices.


Michaela Mitchell

By Michaela Mitchell

Former Communications Director for a local Realtor Association and a big cheerleader for all things real estate related, Michaela is now a full-time freelance writer specializing in real estate and other business industries. When she's not writing the serious business-y stuff, she's likely to be found writing about the hilarity of being a Mom to two rowdy boys.