Reaching your clients -- and your business potential. Choose the tools that work for you.

Whether you’re a tech expert or a “tech-by-necessity” user, most Realtors® understand that technology should always support their business and help them do what they do best: interact with people. 

“I was overwhelmed at first when it seemed like there were too many new tech tools available,” says Heather Embrey, an associate broker with McEnearney Associates in McLean. “I dealt with this by realizing that it doesn’t make sense to purchase technology and then find a purpose for it. Instead, I find a purpose or a need and then find a tech tool that works to meet that need.”

Regardless of a Realtor’s® own interest and competency with new tech tools, it’s crucial to establish the customers’ comfort level with technology. 
“You can only be as tech-savvy as your clients,” says Nobu Hata, director of digital engagement for the National Association of Realtors®. “There’s no point in using a lot of technology if your clients don’t use it. When I was a Realtor® I would ask my clients what they’re using for technology and then make the experience seamless for them.”
Having tools without the knowledge to use them can backfire, says Katja Hom, a Realtor® with Avery-Hess in Tyson’s Corner. 

“It’s much better to have a few tech tools that you’ll use to be more efficient and that you understand,” says Hom. “Pick one or two things and learn them very well.”
According to a joint study by NAR and Google, “The Digital House Hunt: Consumer and Market Trends in Real Estate,” 89 percent of new home shoppers use a mobile search engine at the onset and throughout their house hunting research. Mobile apps are used by 68 percent of consumers at the beginning and throughout their home search. Realtors® should direct their marketing techniques to capture attention on mobile devices. 

“It’s much better to have a few tech tools that you’ll use to be more efficient and that you understand,” says Hom. “Pick one or two things and learn them very well.”

Matthew Rathbun, executive vice president of Coldwell Banker Elite in Fredericksburg and an NVAR instructor, says NAR’s research is eye-opening and makes it clear that Realtors® need to be using technology to meet client expectations. At the same time, he says he won’t teach “60 apps in 60 minutes” because he recognizes that most Realtors® need a more streamlined approach to technology and to find out what really works. 

“Tech tools are great and fantastic but the tool doesn’t make the agent,” says Hom. “Utilization of tools enhances agents’ ability to communicate with today’s consumers.”
Tech savvy successful Realtors® have the following recommendations for tools that have helped them boost business and efficiency. 

BEST TECH TOOLS FOR REALTORS®
Website. “I have one website that’s easy to customize that I use for existing clients who are looking for information, and another website that’s best for lead generation,” says Jamie DeSimone, a Realtor® with Keller Williams Capital Properties in Fairfax.
 Rathbun recommends that Realtors® build a website without being concerned about search engine optimization. He suggests that it be more of a landing place with local area information for clients.

“Your website should be mobile-friendly so clients can read it easily on their mobile devices,” says Rathbun. “NAR research shows that buyers are looking for local information on things like schools, sports and activities when they go to an agent’s website, not just house listings.”

Mobile hotspot such as MiFi. Hata says that a mobile hotspot is the best tech item to have, particularly one that allows agents to use up to five devices at once. “Your clients can be connected to the Internet on whatever device they use, and you can have your tablet connected as well while you’re driving around to look at properties,” says Hata. Rathbun adds that all agents should have a tablet with ‘always-on’ Internet access.

Contact management system. Rathbun recommends using Wise Agent or Sharper Agent for marketing. 

“Sellers understand that today’s consumers go about their home search in a high tech way. Even if they don’t use a lot of technology themselves, they appreciate seeing what the agent can use for marketing.”

Document organization system. “DropBox works great to have a folder accessible to specific people, such as the buyer or seller and the agent,” says Hom. “It’s especially good for things like HOA documents that can be downloaded, since buyers can review them online. You can keep a PDF version of anything there, such as a home inspection that you need to reference more than once.” 
Embrey says she uses email and cc’s herself so it’s easier to pull up documents or send reminders.

eSignatures. Embrey, Hom and Rathbun all recommend using a simple, user-friendly system for eSignatures to improve efficiency. DeSimone uses DotLoop, a Keller Williams program for transaction management. NVAR offers Authentsign as a free member benefit. DocuSign is another choice that works for practitioners.

iPad with Adobe Reader for editing. Hom says Avery-Hess has a customizable listing presentation designed to be used on an iPad. The presentation can also be directed to be visible on a customer’s big-screen TV so it’s easier to see. 
“Sellers understand that today’s consumers go about their home search in a high tech way,” says Hom. “Even if they don’t use a lot of technology themselves, they appreciate seeing what the agent can use for marketing.” 
Hom has Adobe Reader software on her iPad that she uses to highlight or edit documents. She finds this helpful if she’s out of town or working with non-local buyers.

Skype or Facetime. Hom uses Skype so that she can walk around a home and show the property to long-distance buyers. 
“When I was a Realtor® I previewed homes three days a week and I would offer to use Skype or Facetime while I was there to show the homes to clients while they were on their lunch hour,” says Hata. “My customers loved it because it saved them time and I also used it to generate leads because their co-workers would gather around to watch.”

Videos. “Videos are important because they can be viewed on any platform from a desktop device to a mobile device, and they can overcome language barriers,” says Hata. “Videos should be as short as 60 to 90 seconds, because everyone has that much time to watch one.”
While not all Realtors® use videos and some use them only for showing homes, Hata says NAR’s research shows that people are looking to videos for information about a community such as playgrounds, dog parks and lifestyle. Rathbun says a video testimonial from a previous customer can be more powerful than a written testimonial.

SmartZip. DeSimone recommends this site for geographic farming. 

RedX for FSBOs and expired listings. DeSimone uses this to prospect for leads. 

Arch PowerDialer. “This system streamlines my calls if I need to go through a long list from my database,” says DeSimone. “If I get an answering machine, it automatically leaves a message of my choice and then dials the next call. It saves a lot of time.” PowerDialer eliminates dialing by hand and automates voicemail and email follow-up so that users can talk to people instead of voicemail.

BEST APPS FOR REALTORS®
• Branded Mobile App. Keller Williams and Avery-Hess have both recently introduced customized, branded mobile apps that buyers can download and use during the home search. “I download the app for buyers during our initial consultation and then when they’re looking at a home I get an automatic email,” says DeSimone. “I show them how to use the MRIS symbols when they see a house (heart for like, light bulb for ‘I’ll think about it,’ and trash for not interested), which makes it easier for all of us.”
Embrey says the branded version of the MRIS app makes it easier to find properties and to communicate with buyers.

• CloseIt!. DeSimone says the CloseIt! closing costs calculator app from Federal Title & Escrow is an excellent, user-friendly tool she uses for buyers and sellers. 

• GoogleMaps. Embrey recommends this for the simplest navigation when previewing or showing homes. 

• Flashlight app. Embrey’s flashlight app on her iPhone comes in handy when she’s showing a house that doesn’t have power or when a light bulb has burnt out. Similar smartphone apps are available for Android users, too.

• Mile IQ. Hata says this app calculates mileage while driving and even calculates the dollar amount needed for a deduction. 

• Wunderlist. “This is a great checklist app that you can sync to your client’s Wunderlist so that you know when the client has taken care of things like getting documents to the lender,” says Hata.

• AutoDesk HomeStyler app. If you’re showing an empty house or an older, outdated house, this app uses augmented reality to show buyers what the house might look like with new floors or with furniture,” says Hata. 

MOBILE APPS FOR BUYERS

Rathbun provides a list of apps for all of his buyers and suggests that they download them as soon as they start looking for homes. Some of these apps include:
• Home Search – mobile App for searching for homes
• iPMT – mortgage calculator with lots of options
• Easy Measure – takes measurements through your Smartphone
• iScape Free – adds virtual landscaping to potential homes
• Sitegeist – local Demographic and housing Information

Recommended Tech Tools for Buyers

• Northern Virginia sexual predator app. Embrey suggests that her buyers use this to look for convicted sexual predators in a neighborhood where they’re thinking of buying a home. 
• GreatSchools App. “I tell all my clients about the Great Schools app as soon as they start asking about schools,” says Embrey. They can get the school ratings right away and find out anything they want about the whole school district.” 
• Houzz. Hom says that since HGTV has gained popularity, she recommends Houzz.com for buyers who need some inspiration, especially if they’re looking at homes that need updating.
• EverNote. “I have my buyers upload a listing and take notes using EverNote while they’re in the house, preferably on my iPad,” says Hom. “This helps them remember how they felt when they were looking at a house and helps them with the decision process.”
• MagicPlan app. Hata says he gives the MagicPlan app to buyers to help them keep track of homes they’ve seen and to visualize them. “All you do is take a picture of each corner of a room and MagicPlan creates a floorplan and tells you the square feet of the home,” says Hata.