How mobile is your real estate agency?

The way we work in real estate is vastly different today than what it was 10 years ago. The traditional real estate office with its retail shop front window display has been revolutionised with every passing year.

More and more agencies are moving upstairs into Commercial Office space and allowing staff to work remotely from home and in some instances great distances from the main office. 

This has many time saving and productivity advantages but can also present problems if your technology and systems are still stuck in the early 2000’s.

So this begs the question - how mobile is your agency?

Following are 2 main areas where you may want to review and improve the mobility of your office.
 

1. Responsive Website

Mashable called 2013 the Year of Responsive Web Design! 

That was 6 years ago! 

The trend continues in 2019 and we are seeing more and more people moving from Desktops and Tablets to Mobile for their online activity. 

It won’t be long before Mobile is the first preference for people to access the internet and do their work. The graph below highlights the trend and to date the numbers are as follows; Desktop (49.99%), Mobile (39.15%), Tablet (10.72%) and Console (0.14%)
 

Source: GlabalStats - Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet vs Console Market Share in Australia - August 2019

At Eagle Software we can confirm this trend with our internal statistics showing that 90% of people booking inspections are doing so via their mobile phones.

It’s the User Experience that is driving technology and if your website is not responsive or visitors need to pinch the screen to view it, then you are not delivering the best user experience. Ultimately for many, they will visit once, disregard your service and move onto the next business.
 

Tip - Get your Sale & Leasing Agents to Bookmark Your Website on their Mobiles

When speaking with vendors, buyers and tenants, it’s quite common to refer to other properties that are on the market. Having quick access to your responsive website on your mobile means you can show similar properties quickly and easily.

So it’s vital that in 2019 and beyond your website is responsive and easily visible on a mobile phone. 

2. CRM App

Sales & Leasing Agents are no longer tied to the desk. They probably never have been - but now with technological advances, their software can go with them whilst out of the office. 

Today's agents are truly mobile and this means their tools need to be mobile as well.

Your CRM and Leasing Software must allow for work outside the office. This is where your CRM App is vital to keeping your agents plugged into the office and able to access and update information whilst working remotely. 

How can your CRM App allow agents to work remotely?

The App needs to have the ability to;

• Add new contacts quickly & easily
• Register buyers and tenants at inspections
• Instantly send relevant documents including contracts and application forms
• Add Appraisal Property Data
• Add Enquiries, Offers, Inspections and Inspection Times 
• Edit Listings including price, features and notes
• View matched buyers and tenants on listings
• View historical notes, emails, enquiries and inspections
• Add Notes and Follow Up tasks 
• Log Calls and TXT messages when communicating via the app
• Provide directions to your next appointment

Most importantly it is essential that the App is fully integrated with the office CRM!

Too many agents are using third party CRM Apps that don’t fully integrate with the office CRM. This is problematic as data is lost and opportunities missed. 

It is vital that real estate Principals are conscious of the need to have not just a usable desktop CRM but also a robust and fully integrated App that keeps the Sales & Leasing agents connected.

If you would like to discuss how to make your office more mobile, please call us on 03 9016 0444 or visit us at www.geteagle.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---