Tools in Real Estate – the war between tradition and technology
We have a wedding coming up in our office (Christine will be a married woman before the end of September – congratulations!). Always makes us think of the saying, “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…”
It seems to us that there is always a debate going on among real estate sales agents. It is funny how vehement people get about their personal approach to business, as if there is only one right answer in how you approach sales and marketing.
The camps appear divided into: EITHER you embrace technology and online media with your whole heart and soul OR you stick to traditional methods and look at the Internet as a grand time-waster.
The thing is, it seems to us that change within this industry is being led solidly by the consumer. Real estate agents can’t build a client list any longer by control of information, and the ones who try to do this are fooling themselves. Control of information has been taken out of the hands of a small group of individuals and places everywhere.
What that means is this, as far as finding a real estate agent. A Realtor is not going to be able to give you more property details than you can find for yourself online. You can search property listings online, you can hunt up public records, you can look at the online reports at the Town Assessor’s office. When consumers look for an agent now, they want someone experienced in the transaction, a local expert who has time to explain things and with whom they can connect with on a personal level during what is considered one of the most intense times of a person’s life.
This is a much more important – and professional – role than being the gatekeeper of information, in my opinion.
We think the role of the Real Estate OFFICE is becoming more important as technology advances and the busy individual agent finds it impossible to keep up with marketing the listings in the most effective way.
Our office believes in a marriage of the traditional and the technological approach to real estate – using the best of both something old and something new. Our office handles the online marketing for our agents so they are free to show you homes, or sell yours. We not only have technological savvy, we don’t have to wait for a quarterly report from corporate to decide what is the best marketing to use for our agents’ listings. We can match the pace of technological evolution.
And we market broadly. We DO advertise in print media. We hold open houses. We have a YouTube channel; blogs (company and agent); and Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn presences. We are experimenting with different technologies because each buyer has a preference with how he or she wants to receive information, and a preferred place to find that information.
Keeping buyers interested in your listing is important in this market. And no matter which one of our experienced agents you connect with, they are backed by an office that takes care of the marketing for them so they can concentrate on what they do best. Marketing in real estate IS a marriage – new technology and offline interaction are not mutually exclusive.
Ask one of our Realtors to explain our marketing to you.
and don’t forget to congratulate Christine!
We are moving to Gerry's blog at RealtyMan.com! Meet us over there for listings, local information and things to do in Massachusetts.
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I find this article intriguing and important in the world of real estate and technology. I like your approach and feel that it will be effective in attracting more customers. Most of all, I like your tie in to the wedding concept, great writing!
Thanks, Matt!