5 New Technologies Agents Can Use To Boost Your Listings And Get More Sales
Harnessing new technology can help increase your exposure, boost your listings and get more sales as a real estate agent. Here are five new technologies we recommend you start using today if you want to stay ahead of the curve and be the agent-of-choice in your market area. Combining the following new technologies with social media allows you to reach a wider audience, engage more qualified sellers and buyers, and ultimately list and sell more properties better and faster.
1. Virtual and Augmented Reality Property Tours
To give yourself the edge over other agents and reach more buyers, start offering Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) property tours. VR immerses your prospective buyers in properties, whilst AR lets them walk through as if they are really there. Using these new technologies can help boost your reach and engage more prospective buyers. Since people can easily access these digital property tours from anywhere in the world, VR and AR technology expands your market to both interstate and international buyers. A Ray White agency based in Perth recently utilised VR property tour technology provided by Matterport to enable offshore buyers to inspect a City Beach property. As a result, a Hong Kong buyer purchased the property online after inspecting it via VR from the comfort of his home. If you want to expand your buyer pool to interstate and international buyers, start immersing your prospectives in properties via Virtual and Augmented Reality property tours.
2. Drone Photography and Videos
Another way to boost your listings and get more sales is by adding Drone Photography and Videos to your sales kit. Drones can help raise a property’s profile by illustrating the property from all different angles, its surrounding area, and the lifestyle that comes with it. This gives you the ability to instantly showcase a property’s size, potential views, whether it could be renovated, and where it is in relation to parks, shops, schools and public transport. Communicating these key features and benefits through aerial photography and video is a compelling way to share a property’s story. As such, marketing properties using this technology is far more engaging for prospective buyers, which helps you sell more and attract more sellers. To start using drone photography and videos, you can acquire a licence and do it in-house or, alternatively, contact leading real estate providers such as Campaigntrack.
3. Online Live Auctions
Online Live Auctions are the perfect way to interact with more prospective buyers on auction day. Allowing properties to be found and sold from any device, online live auctions are transforming the way properties are sold. Whilst this technology has been around for some time, it is only now that property groups such as Ray White, Savills Cordeau Marshall and Domain are choosing to broadcast their auctions online via service providers like auctionWORKSonline or social media platforms like Facebook Live. Whilst physical auctions are usually attended by up to 200 people, online live auctions are attracting 300,000+ viewers, many of which are prospective bidders. What’s more, online auctions enable increased engagement from prospectives since most providers allow attendees to comment and share. This increased engagement helps promote both you as an agent and the property you are selling. As a result, agents utilising this new technology are greatly expanding their auction’s reach. Transforming the way properties are bought and sold, online live auctions let you access more buyers who can bid on and buy properties anywhere and from any device.
4. Property Data-Driven Videos
Another cutting-edge way agents can promote themselves and their listings online is through Property Data-Driven Videos. These videos are created through live property data APIs which input the latest statistics into an educational, promotional video. Leading service provider, HomePrezzo, provides this valuable new service to agents. HomePrezzo includes your chosen suburb’s house and unit median price, days on market, rental yield, and recent sales in a video. You can then share this video on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, embed it in newsletters, or integrate it on websites and listing portals. This allows you to engage more prospective buyers, attract more sellers, and show you are the go-to agent in your market area.
5. Digital Signatures
Digital signature technology allows real estate contracts to be signed and exchanged online within minutes. Making the contract exchange process easier and faster than ever, it saves sellers, buyers and agents time and money. Since this new technology was introduced to the industry, 80% of real estate contracts are now signed electronically in the US. In Australia, more and more agents are realising that digital signature technology is no longer a differentiator, but a must-have if you want to be chosen by sellers and buyers. Working with Dynamic Methods, the REIA has now digitised many standard real estate documents, such as tenancy agreements and contracts of sale. The good news is, if you are a REIA member, you can download these documents and customise as needed. Digital signatures help you offer a streamlined and faster service to your clients, which ultimately helps you list and sell more.
If you want to boost your listings and get more sales, start using these new technologies today. And, if you’re looking to become qualified in the real estate industry or upskill your real estate qualifications, call Validum Institute TODAY on (07) 3193 5270 to find out more about our fresh new blended approach to learning.
We’d love to know how these new technologies boost your listings and sales. Email me your thoughts at victor.james@validumgroup.com.au.
