Property Management
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The Technology To-Do List
property flyers and MLS searches in their living room is a great use of technology to enhance customer service, nothing matches the lasting professional impression made by actually printing color copies to leave behind. When you realize that a good portable printer can be had for under $300 and that that these units really are portable, it doesn"t take much calculation to realize their true value to today"s mobile professionals. Financial Analysis - Most agents seem to shy away from offering financial advice, instead simply referring financial inquiries to a loan officer. Unfortunately, this runs counter to growing consumer demands for one-stop shopping and expert advice from all of their business contacts. While no one is saying that agents need to become mortgage underwriters, having accurate answers to all of your consumer"s questions and offering un-iased and expert advice certainly goes a long way towards adding value to your services, and creating satisfied customers. The financial software programs from both Top Producer and PREP both make the task of mortgage counseling extremely simple, effective and accurate. If any agent doubts the vaule of adding such software to your current lineup, simply consider the proposition from the customer"s perspective. What buyer wouldn"t want to know the real financial differences between choosing a fixed-rate or an adjustable rate loan? Who wouldn"t want to understand the true impact of paying discount points? How could your buyer not be impressed by a simple, yet accurate, demonstration of the long-term impact of making small additional principal payments on a monthly basis? Finally, the real question is how will the buyer feel about the professionalism and value of the person who can provide then with this valuable information? The C List: The last grouping of technologies all have value, but are far below the "A" and "B" lists in terms of what they can add to the typical real estate agents income, productivity and time savings. This is not to say that you should avoid these technologies, just that they should not be addressed until you have fully exploited the more important, and productive, technologies above. Scanners - In terms of creating the "paperless office" the scanner cannot be beat! However, most agents can still function for quite a while to come with good old-fashioned paper files and folders. As long as you"re using a digital camera for your photography, a scanner can wait. Desk Top Publishing - One of the biggest technology traps that seems to ensnare real estate agents is Desk Top Publishing, (DTP) software. Whether you"re considering PageMaker, MS Publisher or another DTP program, don"t. Few agents are competent graphic artists, and fewer still can spare the precious hours needed to become competent in creating effective marketing pieces. Given that Top Producer and PREP both come with comprehensive, and customizable, marketing flyers, brochures, postcards and even door-hangers included within their software, there"s little to be gained from pursuing desktop publishing. PDA"s & HPC"s - While Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) and Hand-held Palmtop Computers (HPC) are wonderful next generation technologies, they don"t offer much in the way of productivity enhancements for the typical real estate agent. If you"re an agent with multiple assistants who schedule your events and appointments for you, then one of these miniature computers might very well be a great tool for you; most of the rest of us should wait a while longer. Mapping & Demographics - One of the great benefits of the computer age is the ability to purchase electronic information. Every day the availability of software for mapping, demographics, school information, and public records increases. While all of these categories lend themselves to providing greater customer service and personal efficiency, they do not represent products that provide the immediate return on investment that most real estate agents are looking for. Additionally, these types of information can often be found on the Internet, and at not cost. Electronic Forms - Quite a few companies now offer software that will convert you paper documents, typically sales agreements and the like, into "electronic" forms. This type of software represents a great use of technology, and can be a real timesaver to be sure. But, until you"re adept at using a notebook computer with a portable printer, the added value is questionable; at least when compared to the other more productive technologies available. As you plan your new year, whether for yourself or your associates, I sincerely hope that you will reflect on the above to-do list in order to determine how effectively you are using technology, and to set realistic goals for implementing newer technologies into the future. On a final note, regardless of where you are on the technology curve, realize that the shift to technology for enhanced productivity and production is an on-going process, and that without effective training, results will typically be marginal.Pages: 1 [2]