I remember some Silicon Valley software developer telling me a few years ago that the profession of a real estate agent will be obsolete in the year 2014 and replaced by hi-tech virtual tools.
Well, what can I say? We are writing the year 2015, and I am still here assisting buyers and sellers with their real estate needs. The way we do business though has changed drastically as well as my work environment, and my sphere of influence. More than ever, it is important to combine local real estate know how and personal touch, w-i-r-e-l-e-s-s with my clients. They expect the convenience to connect and get informed without leaving their home.
Not only in Silicon Valley but especially right here in this El Dorado of programmers, geeks, and hi tech enthusiasts, a real estate agent needs virtual presence on Facebook, Linkedin, a blog, several web sites, a twitter account, youtube and google plus to find the millenials currently entering the housing market, empty-nesters who want to downsize, and anyone in between. It gives an unlimited potential of new clients to a realtor like me who uses social media as a method to connect with people.
70% of my leads in 2014 came from facebook. In January 2015 I referred eight first-time homebuyers to agents in other areas of California and out of state from which I eventually will receive a negotiated referral fee and hopefully business coming back my way. International contacts have become a reality as well. Your property is not selling on the local market? Well, let's contact buyers in Asia where right now, real estate in the United States is considered on sale because of the relatively low Dollar exchange rate. Not only clients but also my international professional network is a product of the internet data autobahn.
Online instruction instead of sitting in a classroom is my choice of education. I just passed the exam and got certified as a military relocation professional.
My sphere of influence includes people I have never met in person but shared my pictures with, and part of my daily life and business. Some of them share my ethnic background and native language, some of them share my interest for horses, many find me because they are looking for a realtor in my fields of expertise, military relocation and rural properties. In my professional database, I categorize most of my facebook friends as "met" because I know just as much about them or even more than about the local homeowner in Gilroy on whose door I knock to hand out my flyers. Both channels are important to be successful in this people business environment. It is not about taking away old ways to connect - it is about adding new ones.
House hunters get my own app which keeps them connected with me but also gives them the opportunity to check out every listing in the street they are driving through. The mortgage calculator of my app can instantly tell them how high the monthly payment will be which they will have to budget for including private mortgage insurance, principal and interest.
Home sellers can go on vacation without losing out on prospective buyers. They know that their property is securely accessible through an e-supra key, electronic access that can be programmed into an agent's cellphone. A virtual tour on youtube markets their home directly to house hunters and disclosures are at the buyer's fingertips online.
My expense budget does not include rent for an office - unthinkable for a real estate agent 10 years ago. A wireless hot spot which I can use anywhere to connect my tablet and cellphone to C.A.R. forms and contracts and the MLS has replaced the good old swivel chair and the prestigious teak office. Mobility and the flexibility to meet where-ever and whenever, virtually and in person, is what my clients expect from me. Customer satisfaction is where I invest my budget.
Buyers tweet, we meet at a coffee shop and put in the offer after we found the house of their dreams. Digital ink is a convenient way to sign most of the necessary documents and a virtual transaction point keeps everyone on the same page - without hard copies. The client can be on his flight to Hawaii while purchasing or selling a home.
There are safety risks involved with living in a cloud like there are risks anywhere out there in this jungle called world. Knowing the risks, prevention, and understanding the bigger picture helps brokers and clients avoiding damage such as identity theft.
For me personally, the technological advantages outweigh the negative by far, and I am looking forward to meet YOU to talk about real estate whether it is in a cloud, at Starbucks, or on facebook. My virtual gate is as open as the door to my brokerage. You know what to do. #
South County Twang and Gilroy Spice
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