In this week’s real estate sales and technology news we look at Connecting Opportunities with the Match.com for Real Estate, New iOS 8 & Mac Features for Real Estate Agents, a Virtual Tool that Increases Engagement with Luxury Real Estate Buyers and the Easiest Way for Real Estate Professionals to Ask for a Referral …& Succeed.
Virtual Tool Increases Engagement with Luxury Real Estate Buyers
Inman is reporting that ERA Real Estate is using a white-labeled version of VisApp’s HomeSnazzer virtual design tool to market high-end listings. Most people are visually focused especially when it comes to home buying. How will my furniture fit into this new space. Is it spacious enough, what if I changed the wall color, added a widescreen TV?
VisApp has developed a great way to increase buyer engagement & committment online with their virtual design tool. It certainly provides more opportunities for a buyer to be intrigued and invested in the home buying process. If they have already imagined themselves there and put in time redecorating online, an in person showing is only a small step away.
Luxury buyers often make substantial changes to a home’s layout and decor, so a tool that helps them envision those changes would be particularly useful to them, said Jamie Goldman, ERA’s vice president of platforms. They want to personalize the home even after they purchase it,” Goldman said. “The visualizer is a way for them to see what it could be before they move in. An agent doesn’t have to do anything,” Goldman said. “They just pick the photos they want to use and the rest happens for them.” Read more about this amazing tool at Inman.
New iOS 8 and Mac Features for Real Estate Agents
Apple just released their new iOS 8.1 update less than 24 hours ago. TechSavvyAgent has already published an article about the new upgrades for real estate agents. Apple enhanced the connectivity between their mobile devices and their desktop/laptop counterparts. Texting, phone calls, and internet connectivity have a seamless flow across all platforms now.
On prior versions of iOS you could only text from your iPad and desktop if you were sending messages to other iOS users, now it doesn’t matter what platform they have. Check out Tom Ferry’s video below to learn a great texting strategy or read more about our cutting edge Jedi trick for lead response texting that we covered in our last Trending Tuesday post. For more tips and features on the new iOS 8 update, check out TechSavvyAgent’s orginal article.
Connecting Opportunities with the Match.com for Real Estate
If you’re a real estate developer looking for a lender or an architect seeking a builder, a Miami-based startup wants to set you up with your perfect match. RealConnex is in beta testing and will launch soon with a goal of linking up the folks who work on real estate projects before they’re listed and after they’re acquired.
RealConnex provides an opportunity to find your perfect match for the right capital, clients, investments, services and people; whatever development you are trying to accomplish in the real estate market. The website has more than 400 vendors already signed up and various real estate investors offering a total of $1.5 billion. Backed by some tech heavyweights ranging from real estate investors to former managing directors at LinkedIn. RealConnex is currently offering free signups for the next 3 months with future paid subscriptions offering more sophisticated upgrades. Read more at the South Florida Business Journal.
The Easiest Way for Real Estate Professionals to Ask for a Referral …& Succeed
Prospecting is essential in a professional real estate sales process. And while you may have hit your cold-calling fatigue wall, asking for referrals can be just as effective and certainly cheaper than paid marketing. MarketLeader just published a great scripted article on how to ask for (and get) a referral. Some of the highlights are: Prequalify your referrals by asking the right questions and ensure that your client is satisfied for you ask for anything. Ensure the referrer knows how you actually benefitted them, get specifics rather than platitudes.
For more details on how to lead up to the ask check out the post at MarketLeader. Watch this recent webinar below hosted by Trulia Pro to learn more strategies to build a successful referral process.
Clearview’s Tuesday Tech Tip: Cam Scanner
If you are ready to make the jump to a completely virtual office, Cam Scanner can help your real estate business go mobile. Cam Scanner enables you to scan documents directly from your mobile device – and makes them look like real scans. Instead of rushing to the office to send out documents, you can now get this done on the go. Small but vital tech tools like these can be life changers that give you the freedom to show up fully in all areas of your personal and professional life. Cam Scanner is free and also offers upgraded subscriptions for only $4.99/mo.