Realtor Tools you should know.

Realtor tools. Like a construction worker has a hammer in their belt, your realtor should also have tools that they can use to help you as a client.

They say technology is a young person’s game.  Did you know the average age of a real estate professional here in Michigan is 59 years old?  Technology is moving so quickly that the majority of real estate professionals can’t keep up with the changing Realtor tools.

Now look, there is nothing wrong with being older in an industry that is quickly adopting new technology.  But this next generation of realtors are going to be doing things a little bit differently with much more tech-savvy realtor tools.

Read on if you’d like to learn what this next generation will be leveraging to help you sell your house.

But first, this is how it used to be…

Before the internet, people would actually look at each other and say hello.  They’d talk to their neighbor about that new brokerage or restaurant that popped up down the street.  People even used oversized books with yellow pages, just to call a business they were looking for.  Those yellow pages always seemed to have an odd dusty smell to them.

The world was a smaller place then. We would even argue that it might have been a better place than the one we’re in today. The vast majority of homeowners in Michigan remember the time before the internet.  We’re sure a large majority look back with rose colored glasses.

Unfortunately, time always moves forward.  With it comes new innovations and technologies whether we understand them or we don’t. The following 4 tools are what your realtor should be using.  Even if you’re not a fan of technology, if your realtor isn’t using these, you’re probably paying them too much.

Realtor Tool #1 – A Smart Phone

Yes, it’s true… There are some realtors who still use flip phones.  If you see them, run like the wind and find a realtor with the newest phone possible.

Smart phones now a day can make calls and transfer text messages, of course.  The real power in smart technology is the access to applications on the device that allow them to take photos and videos and edit them, send emails and attach documents, scan documents, schedule showings for your listings.  But their real power comes from 5G technology allowing instant connection to the cloud for huge file sizes.  The only thing a smart phone can’t do is teleport the realtor to the next listing, but we’re sure someone is working on that.

The smart phone is the foundation to the realtor’s life now.

Social Media

Now while the majority of realtors do have smart phones, the vast majority of older realtors don’t understand the real power of social media. 

I want you to imagine the universe. The total expanse of space and time. In this imagined universe you have a solar system of planets. Each planet you can habitat by hopping from one planet to the next with ease. On each planet you also have land that is uniquely yours, but with different laws of physics that govern it. Also, on each planet you can build on it. You have neighbors and friends on each of these planets and you can share with them.

That is social media in a nutshell.

Each social media site like facebook, instagram, youtube, linkedin and hundreds of others are like the planets. Each one of these platforms focus on something different; instagram is photos, youtube is videos and this embodies this idea that each planet has different laws of physics that govern it.

The more someone creates on their social media platform, the more people see what they’re doing. Much like building a skyscraper, the higher you build – the further away someone can see the building. And all content is sharable to your friends and family at the click of a button.

While this article won’t get into the details about how a marketer can engineer content to get more people on these social media sites to engage with content, just know there are tricks to creating content.

Here is a link to our instagram page. Follow us there!

Most Underused Realtor Tool – Web Design

Website design is similar in understanding to social media.  If a realtor doesn’t understand social media, this next topic is probably out of their wheelhouse too.  They most certainly don’t understand the power of how to develop a website to generate more views to your listing.  BUT your realtor needs to.  99% of them will not know how, and likely don’t want to pay someone else, as it can get expensive.

This knowledge allows a realtor to design a website which will drive hyper-specific traffic to your listing.  For example, if you have a lighthouse, a windmill house, or a luxury listing, then building a website will always bring more niche traffic.  The right traffic you’re looking for, rather than posting that unique listing on social media.  

This is like drawing with a fine pencil, whereas social media is painting with a brush. 

If it’s that unique, people will be searching for that thing specifically.

When people search for key terms, they do so through Google, or another search engine.  Having a website tailored for your unique offering allows you to go DIRECTLY to the people searching for it.  Not just locally, but globally.  This skill of web design is only shared by a small handful of realtors in the State of Michigan. (We would know.)

Matterport and VR

This is one of the coolest Realtor Tools people use today. Most realtors are offering 3d walkthroughs of really nice luxury homes.  But most skip this type of marketing on homes less than $200,000.  A good realtor shouldn’t be skipping this realtor tool.  Engagement matters on the internet, and 3D renders are highly engaging.

A 3d walkthrough is similar to Google Maps Street View.  Each click of the screen moves you further down the street.  In real estate, this technology is used to walk someone through a house or building. Each click allows you to navigate through a house. This realtor tool was massively helpful during the pandemic.

In its current form, 3D walk throughs are much slower than just watching a video tour of a house.  This tool is for those people who want to walk through a property and take their time doing so. The current form of this tech allows for a user to move their computer mouse or use their finger on their phone to “look around” the room. In the near future, you will visit your realtor’s office, or you will sit back on your couch and put on a virtual reality headset.  Your realtor will download into the headset multiple listings. Wherever your head looks you will see exactly what is there inside the home you’re interested in.  You will be able to experience a home showing without ever needing to leave your home or the realtors office.  This will speed up the home searching and buying process by magnitudes that aren’t even understood yet.

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