Real estate agents are no longer the single, solitary gatekeepers of real estate information. Technological developments that empower buyers and sellers have forced significant changes on the industry. The agents and brokerages who adapt to this new, technology-rich paradigm will thrive and continue to continue to see success.
Real Estate Technology for Homebuyers and Agents
15 years ago, the real estate market was a different place. If a homebuyer wanted information on a home, an agent would have to dig it out of their files and walk them through the listing.
Now, things have changed. Buyers can find detailed real estate information with a quick search on their smartphones. Large, consumer portals like Zillow opened this door. They provided information and data comparisons for anyone to see, empowering consumers and changing the way real estate transactions happened.
The simple ability to search for homes at their leisure gave homebuyers more freedom and control than they’d previously had. And with that newfound freedom, buyers and sellers developed an expectation for this level of convenience and independence.
Technology has changed for agents and brokers, too. Now that homebuyers do much of the early explorations on their own, modern agents have found other ways to provide value. It involves using technology to connect with potential buyers, automatically nurture their leads, and build effective relationships.
It Starts on The Website
Even individual agents and smaller brokerages can offer the detailed MLS information through their websites to provide the experience that homebuyers expect. An IDX website allows agents to offer:
- A user-friendly property search with multiple search options
- Interactive map searches for those who prefer a visual approach to home discovery
- Property galleries where agents can feature new listings or recent price drops
- Automated systems to feature active listings through the MLS
These tools help agents and brokerages keep potential homebuyers on the website and interacting with the listings. But it can go even further, and you can more easily turn those visitors into valuable leads with proven lead capture features.
These real estate websites can make it easy for potential clients to save listings and searches and then sign up to receive email alerts when new listings match their criteria.
MarketBoost, then, allows agents to keep in touch with all these new contacts by sending automated listings content, starting drip email campaigns, and otherwise making sure they know about new open homes, new listings, prices changes, and other important market reports.
As the agent continues to update the website with the newest, most current information on the area, it will help establish them as the undisputed local expert.
In the modern market, the most successful agents are those who can use these types of website tools to turn real estate information into practical and actionable advice.
Investing in an Edge
As more brokerages start to adapt to this evolving marketplace, they have started investing more of their resources into the technology their agents use throughout the buying and selling process.
This has, in fact, become one way that brokerages are recruiting and retaining more agents. When it’s clear that they will have a range of tools for lead nurturing at their fingertips, they’ll know that they have the support of the brokerage.
Tools like MarketBoost and OmniPress give agents an edge over the competition. They make it easy to capture more leads and get detailed reports on what those potential homebuyers searched for, what they viewed, and what actions they took on your website.
This kind of technology can help save time and money while keeping in touch with all their leads and highlighting their expertise in the local markets.
Full Integration
Many brokerages immediately jumped on the technology bandwagon, but soon found that some of their tools and apps didn’t mesh with others. The most effective tools in this tech-rich market should easily integrate with the systems already in place at the brokerage.
iHomefinder’s solutions were designed to work effectively with a variety of third-party apps, from Top Producer and IXACT Contact to Follow Up Boss and FiveStreet. This way an agent can forward leads from the website to other systems the brokerage is using without any problems.
This kind of integration also gives agents the ability to add their leads’ IDX website activity to the CRM. They can then automatically add the leads in the CRM to the MarketBoost report subscriptions.
Agents will have the ability to manage lead aggregation and routing while automating email and web content for lead nurturing.
Technology and Accessibility
Agents who have fully adapted to the modern real estate market do more than make real estate data available to homebuyers. While real estate information is readily available, the most successful agents are those who can use it to address the concerns of their clients.
Homebuyers are more empowered than ever before. New technologies have opened the world of real estate to them, but not completely. The door may stand open, but it’s the modern real estate agent who will show them in and help them understand the potential of what they’ve discovered.
Technology isn’t just about gathering new leads and correlating data. It’s about finding new ways to become the trusted advisor on the important real estate decisions.
The New, Tech-Savvy Real Estate Agent
