Are realtors doing enough when it comes to utilizing technology to maximize their sales?
Realtors everywhere are savvy enough to know they need to grow a network of potential clients whether it is through Facebook or Instagram, however when it comes to more complex technological endeavors are realtors slow to adapt?
Gone are the days of just knocking on doors and handing out flyers. Today’s generation has a short attention span and everyone is accustomed to getting advertisements hurled at them relentlessly through their smartphones. The key to acquiring leads now is being able to quickly and effectively communicate what it is you’re selling and standing out in the crowd.
Here are a few simple ways to do it:
1. Search Engine Optimization
SEO is a bit of a mysterious entity to those who are not fully immersed in the industry. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to getting your website to number 1 on google. The rules are constantly changing and people are constantly figuring out new ways to circumvent these rules. SEO companies often charge too much for what they offer you or they simply under deliver. Although becoming an expert in this field is time-consuming, it could be worth every penny.
Here are a few of the basics to start getting your website near the top of search results.
- Create good content with worthwhile information
- Make the content's text hierarchy easily read by Google and your viewers with well-targeted headlines
- Use internal linking on your website to share the domain's link juice
- Acquire high quality, relevant links to your content
2. Architectural Rendering and Visualizations
As an architectural rendering company employee, I know this best. Realtors are often hesitant to spend money on high quality renders.
Allow your clients to do a site walkthrough before ground has been broken – You now have the ability to allow your clients to step inside the development before it’s even been started. The best part is they don’t even need to wear a hard hat.
As virtual reality headsets start appearing on Christmas lists around the country, and the technology becomes more common, a very interesting trend in the real estate space is becoming apparent. Virtual Reality is proving to be a very effecting tool to sell houses before they are built. Creating a virtual reality walkthrough is now readily available for the average developer at fairly reasonable prices.
Although immersive technology is still relatively new, the excitement around it is growing. Virtual Reality is still not perfect and in coming years it will no doubt evolve significantly from where it is now, however, as things currently stand, it is a very tempting option for those looking to get a leg up on the competition to showcase their real estate development.
Architectural Rendering Software’s technology has also progressed significantly in recent years, mainly due to the popularity of 3D Rendering Software beginning to utilize the power of the graphics card instead of the CPU to speed things up. Companies like Octane and Redshift are pushing this transition forward.
Now more than ever it is important to pay keen attention to what really sets a 3D rendering company apart. There are thousands of architectural rendering companies around but just because a company has the technical ability to use the software it does not mean that they have the artistic ability or the understanding of design to pull it off. Companies like our own, RealSpace 3D, have a proven track record of high-quality results and 12 years of experience.
3. Social Media and Customer Communication
When the term “social media” is mentioned people tend to now have a strong reaction. Many people have reached oversaturation with this media. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and many others have turned a lot of users off with privacy issues and spam bots. That being said, social media still has it’s benefits, especially when targeting a certain market of users.
Creating well thought out ads on social media platforms is a great way to convey images of your new development while targeting a specific age group, income group and location.
Conversely, using social media as a platform for your customers to interact with you in a more personally is a fantastic way to create brand awareness and answer any questions your potential clients may have quickly (which is important these days, with our reduced attention span and patience).
If you regularly put out interesting content, show images of the build quality of development and show previous projects you worked on, you can begin to create a sense of security for your customers. Additionally, if other clients see you responding to complaints or concerns in a reasonable manner they will feel confident that they will be treated the same way.
4. Camera technology
Cellphone cameras continue to improve with each new generation however, don’t be fooled into thinking that you are now suddenly a professional real estate photographer.
There may be nothing more visually offensive or aggravating than seeing a multimillion-dollar listing being marketed with low quality, cellphone images. In one case, an apartment suite going for over a million dollars was being shown online with cellphone quality images with full garbage bags hanging off of the kitchen cabinets. The images looked unprofessional, and although a single image is neither going to make or break the sale of a home, professional images can encourage more foot traffic to view the house in person.
Photography requires both skill and an artistic flair. Just because everyone now has the ability to take photographs and apply fancy filters doesn’t mean that they should when trying to market a home. Do everyone a favour and hire a professional!
Another area of photography which has developed in leaps and bounds in recent years is the use of drones. Drones are a fantastic way to show the lay of the land, local features and even create smooth around the building while creating a dramatic sales video.
In addition, drone footage can now be combined with CG elements to show what future developments will look like situated on plots of land.
Although understanding all the latest technology can be a daunting task, the overall strategy is quite simple. Create great content and put it in intelligent spots to allow the people who best fit your demographic to see it.
Don’t expect yourself to be the jack of all trades in these very different real estate marketing avenues. Hiring professionals in areas you’re not already comfortable in will free you up to focus on tasks which you are already the expert in.
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