I was just reading an article in Inman News about the new iPhone apps that have come out and it got me thinking about how to optimize the consumer's experience of the real estate office and agents. Then it started me thinking about brokerages and their ability to recruit agents in this market. Here's what I came up with.
The Prospect's Experience
I'm a buyer and I'm searching the web for information. I want to know more about a particular house and I'm on your website. I email you for more information using the button you've provided me and I give you my email address and phone number as part of the process of sending the request.
As the Buyer, What Do I Want?
- I want instant response to my request with the information I asked for.
- I don't know it yet, but I also want education on information that I didn't even know to ask about.
- I want the process to be easy.
- Again, I don't know it, but making it easy means working with a really competent and talented agent. So I want one of those too. Possibly not right now, but soon - within the next two or three months.
How To Make It Happen
Issue number one is to get the information to arrive instantly in the person's email box. Personally, I'd use an autoresponder for this. And I wouldn't set it up with only the house info. I'd set it to email the person 5 times in 5 days with relevant data about the area and listings in the marketplace. This is what I'd have it do:
Contact #1 - Everything you can think of about the house - down to room measurements. And a comment at the end that this was an automated response sent in an effort to give the prospect immediate results to their question and that for a more specific response or for something not covered in the email or to schedulle a showing, they can call you.
Contact #2 - Detailed information about the neighborhood in which the house was located and a link to take them to a page that will provide them with a list of all the properties in the area that are for sale in the same general price range.
Contact #3 - A white paper relating to the type of buyer most likely to purchase this type of house. Or perhaps a link to several white papers so that they can choose which one appeals to them most.
Contact #4 - A link to a mortgage officer that you like to work with and information about how they work with their clients.
Contact #5 - The benefits of buyer agency and the pitfalls of going it alone. This should also address the myth of "getting a better deal from the listing agent". This note should also include notice that you'll be in touch personally soon if you haven't already.
The Brokerage Setup
Here is the opportunity for a brokerage to create additional value. The broker designs these programs and sets them up. It's a one-time fee of $48/quarter if you go with GetResponse.com and it will work for all of your listings. If the broker gets the notification that someone has subscribed to the autoresponder program for that listing, then they can have a licensed appointment setter call immediately when the request comes through. That person's job is to call the lead, get into relationship with them and, before the end of the call, set an appointment for one of the agents in the office with that lead.
Google Calendar
How do you keep track of all of your agents' constantly changing schedules to schedule an appointment for them? Google Calendar. If agents wanted the leads from their internet requests, they would have to use the Google Calendar to keep their appointments. This way agents could mark off the times that they are off work and their already set appointments and the appointment setter could schedule appointments for them. How great would that be? Walk into the office after a long day of showings and sit down at your computer to find that you're booked with appointments all week! Agents pay a referral fee of 10% to the appointment setter and the broker pays a low base pay of $8-$12/hr, and everyone makes more money.
Recruiting Boon
Having worked for a TON of different brokerages over the years, I can tell you that there has been very little difference between offices besides personalities and locales. (No, not even split levels - some offices pay more, but give less service and it all works out the same in the end in my experience.) But this is the one area where you really have a chance to shine as a broker. Most offices are hunkering down and scaling back, trying to wait out the dip.
You're Smarter Than That
But it's not hunkering down time. Those who hunker will fail because they will be left behind by those who chose to innovate instead. This is one way to innovate that would improve your bottom line and your ability to recruit all in one fell swoop. You can't beat that with a stick.
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