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Helpful Tech & Tools for Realtors Who Aren't Part of a Big Firm

Written by Posted On Sunday, 22 September 2019 14:31
Helpful Tech & Tools for Realtors Helpful Tech & Tools for Realtors Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/entrepreneur-cellular-phone-3850511/)

If you’re a real estate agent that’s working on your own (either as a sole proprietor or incorporated as an LLC), there are a few helpful tools that you should definitely consider as a way to present yourself in a professional way to clients.

In this article I’ll detail a few of my favorite pieces of tech that can allow you to collaborate and communicate more effectively with other agents, and which can help set you apart and allow you to compete directly with the biggest real estate agencies in your market.

Professional Phone Service

You need a business phone for your business, and it should be a separate number from your personal cell phone. One of the easiest ways to set this up is to choose a VoIP service such as Google Voice

If you sign up for a Google Voice account (free, or paid if you need more than one line and/or enhanced business features) you’ll enjoy a distinct, local number which you can add to your website, Google My Business listing, and to your realtor profiles on Zillow and other real estate directories. If you have a physical office space then you can sync that phone number to the landline in your office, and you can also have calls forwarded directly to your cell phone (you can continue to use your regular cell phone number, but you can also make and receive calls from your Google Voice business line).

Google Voice offers some nice features to real estate agents, such as the ability to forward voicemails directly to your email as text readouts, so that you can check all of your messages in one place and prioritize who you respond to first without having to listen to a series of long voicemail messages.

One tip when choosing a phone number for Google Voice is to do a quick internet search for the phone number to see if it has been used for a lot of spam / scam calls in the past and might be flagged. Obviously that’s something you want to avoid, so do a little research on the available local phone numbers before choosing one.

Invest in a Drone

If you want to differentiate yourself with one-of-a-kind listing photos, you might want to invest in a drone which can capture aerial photos and videos of client properties. 

This can be a great investment in your real estate business which helps you market your listings in a unique and engaging way on social media and on your website, and can set you apart from other solo realtors, and even gives you an edge on some of the bigger real estate firms in your market. 

A good drone will only cost you a few hundred dollars on Amazon, and if you use it solely for business purposes, you can probably write off the expense when tax time rolls around.

DocuSign

If you’re in the business you have certainly heard of DocuSign, but if you’re not using it yet it’s time to jump on board.

Relying on in-person appointments to get offers or counter-offers signed and sent can make your clients lose sales, and can cost you commissions. We live in a digital world, and securely sending and receiving signed documents to submit or accept offers and counter-offers from anywhere will help your real estate business grow and will make sure you have the best chance of closing when a deal is on the table.

Their real estate plans start at just $10 per month.

Professional Email And Video Conferencing

Putting your best foot forward means that you should have a legitimate, professional email address for your business correspondence. Using a Gmail or Yahoo address doesn’t cut it, and makes you look like an amateur. It’s only $6 per month to get your own domain and professional email service through G Suite (Google), and there’s no annual contract.

As a bonus, your G Suite license will allow you to hold secure video conferences with clients, lenders, inspectors, and other agents from your office or on-site via Hangouts. This Google product is easy to use and will allow you to connect, collaborate, or showcase properties virtually easily, at any time that you need to.

A CRM Platform

A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform is essential to anyone in sales, and whatever platform you choose for your business you can use it in a few simple ways to help you earn a reputation as a realtor who cares, stays connected, and is on their game.

With a CRM you can get reminders to call clients to check-in every 10 days, send them a written report of activity every week, and to mail a handwritten card that arrives on their birthday.

A CRM can not only set reminders and allow you to schedule automatic correspondence, but it will also serve as a database of all your past, present, and potential clients. RealtyJuggler and Agentdesks (less expensive) are both good options specifically designed to help real estate agents thrive.

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Joe Hessert writes about home decorating and functional office design with a special focus on creating useful guides and resources for work-from-home professionals.

https://www.10desks.com

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