Tips for getting agents excited about your tech offerings.
Getting agents excited about your tech offering is no easy feat. How you promote your technology to your agents, consumers and potential recruits is as important as the technology you offer. The perception of your technology prowess can be instrumental in creating buzz in your market and can give you a leg up in recruiting.
The REAL Trends technology team recently worked with a brokerage that is getting pressure from their agents to one up another local company that is supposedly outdoing them in the technology area. But, the agents had it wrong. They perceived that this other brokerage was outdoing them in tech; however, it was all perception. The brokerage had technology that was just as good as that of their competitor. The problem? They weren’t selling it enough to their agents.
You must have a complete technology solution. Having a complete package will set up your firm for the future. Remember, a solid tech package can create a buzz when it comes to getting agents in the door. When looking at the return on investment (ROI) on technology, you’ll notice that it is not a simple, straight ROI conversation anymore. You will lose or gain agents based on your technology offerings, and this will only intensify as time goes on.
There is an industry adage that the best customer relationship manager (CRM) is the one your agents use. The best CRM is the one your agents believe to be the best! Your agents must not think your competitors have better solutions. Here are a few strategies that you can employ to promote your technology:
1. Website, mobile website and mobile App. It’s time you promote your technology in your listing presentations. Pick the two to three things at which you excel. A good example might be your property search or individual property websites. Perhaps you have a mobile app experience that is unparalleled in your market, whatever the case, let people know about it.
2. Marketing and technology solutions. Here is an often-overlooked opportunity.
Many brokers regularly bill agents for the routine stuff, such as desk and technology fees. Often forgotten are the services that agents are getting for those fees. A simple way to remind them is to itemize their monthly bills then credit them back to zero it out. For instance, if you offer the following: mobile app, CRM and transaction management system, and you do SEO, SEM and listing portal marketing, then list those on their monthly bill. Reinforce your value proposition. Don’t forget to include marketing and transaction coordinators, as well.
3. Listing presentations. You must get your agents talking about your technology more often and during the listing presentation is a good place to start. I knew a brokerage (competitor to our client) that used the program, Salesforce. In their listing presentations, they highlighted the fact that they used the world’s No. 1 CRM
to monitor activity and contacts. If you get your agents talking about it, it will have an impact on adoption, recruitment, and retention.
If you and your agents are not talking about and promoting your technology, then you’re missing out on an opportunity to mold the reputation you want in your area. Sometimes, the perception is reality.
This article appeared in REAL Trends Newsletter and is being reprinted with permission of REAL Trends, Copyright 2015.