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Are you finding yourself like
many others in our profession a little “left out” when it comes to using
technology? Do you feel that you
will never catch up and be able to make it a vital part of your business? Are you concerned that the cornerstones of your business
foundation may not be right for today’s real estate world?
Not to worry. You just need a little common sense and someone who can work
with you on the computer basics. Here’s
what I mean. Get Help
The best help is your kids!
And if they are not available, ask for names from the local high school.
You can pay these young people a minimum amount to show you how to use
your computer and it’s one-on-one. You
don’t have to be embarrassed by being in a room full of other people and not
knowing where to turn the computer on. And,
the good news is that they will show you that you can’t push a button and
destroy the computer or what you have been working on; there’s always a way to
undo something. You will feel much better after actually having someone sit
with you for a few hours. Since you
are reading this on the Internet, you already know more than you realize. Basics
Have help with setting up
your database of clients on the computer. You
want to make this an easy process. You
can hire these same kids to input all your data and show you how to retrieve it
and add to it yourself later on. You
should have your clients organized by category—sellers, buyers, prospects,
farm, etc. What is your best
prospecting tool? If it’s
FSBO’s then add that to the categories. Is
it cold calling? Add that.
You want to know where your business comes from.
And, start collecting those email addresses.
There is no other way except to ask for them.
You should be doing your
CMA’s from your personal computer. Make
sure that you have this system set up. Most
MLS associations have these available to you. You should have a flyer
program and presentation program in your computer.
It makes it so much easier to get your work done.
No more waiting for the office computer. Internet and email need to be
established. Use a simple email
address that relates to you or your business.
One that doesn’t have too many characters in it so is easily entered. Some are too long and result in having a letter transposed so
that you never receive the email. Also,
make sure your Internet Service Provider is one that allows you to receive PDF
files, HTML, photos, graphics, and has enough capacity to receive large Word
files. Make sure that you can send
personalized emails from your system. Coloradosoft
has a great program available for this called World Merge. You need to have a personal
web site now that you have all of the above in place.
Buyers are turning to the Internet to find properties.
These buyers are more qualified, you do not have to show them as many
properties, and they spend more. You
need to get your fair share of these buyers.
There is no other way, but a personal web site.
I am sure your company site is good, but by the time you get the inquiry,
the buyer may have gone on to another site and touched based with someone else.
Registering your site in all the major search engines can be done by the
web designer. Now that you have your basic
technology in hand and can use the Internet to do research, use it!
You’ll find all kinds of interesting sites and you can let your clients
know about them by email. They like
to know about sites that you find interesting.
It also keeps you in touch in a very personal way with it only taking
minutes to reach hundreds if you like. Your cornerstones of business
are still viable. You still need to
prospect; you still need to keep in touch in a personal way with your prospects
and clients. But what will be
available to you now is an easy way to keep in touch with more people quicker. You will be able to put virtual tours on your web site of
your listings that makes your sellers happy and brings even more qualified
buyers. The real estate industry is
changing, but it is not an overwhelming process to catch up.
You do not have to become a computer expert, but you do need to have
someone who can show you the basics. And,
those people are easy to find. Look
to youth to give you a new prospective to your business and don’t be
afraid—you will love this when you use it more! |
