Over the last several years, the real estate industry has adopted a wide range of new technologies, well beyond improved MLS platforms. No, we’re talking practices like sharing drone video of properties, online tour booking technology, and instant offer technology that quickly evaluates properties and makes offers to the seller. These tools were all useful prior to COVID-19, but real estate technology is poised to redefine the industry in the coming months and years.

If you’re working in real estate, or looking to enter the field, it’s now possible to handle virtually every level of your operation online. Such advancements are a boon to the industry –  now you just need to learn the lay of the land.

Getting Licensed

If you’re already a real estate agent, adjusting to this new all-digital world is mostly about transitioning existing services, but if you’re someone interested in becoming an agent, then you need to start from scratch and you’re doing so in strange times. 

What, then, is the best way forward? Platforms like Real Estate U provide access to several state realtor courses, allowing emerging realtors to pursue the necessary educational programs remotely, and complete them more quickly. Welcome to your launchpad.

Digitizing Documents

Real estate is a paperwork heavy field and while we’ve had the ability to manage documents digitally for years now, a lot of operations have opted to skip this process. After all, when it comes to buying and selling property, people are going to need to submit that paperwork to the DMV, utility companies, and other offices as proof of address and to verify services. 

What this logic overlooks is the fact that digitizing documents is about more than just reducing paper waste. Digitization is an organization solution that will save you a lot of money in the long run and, if you’re operating primarily from home, will also save a lot of space.

Visualize Virtual Tours 

Prior to COVID-19, digital tours were the sort of tool specifically designed to convince potential buyers to come in for a viewing. We may be entering a moment in which the virtual tour is the only tour some viewers get before committing to a property. That’s a risky business, but video walk-throughs today are high-quality and there are several different approaches agents can take to make them more effective. Professional 3D tours look about as pricey as they are, but many buyers are even happier to walk through properties with their agent on a video call so they can direct the tour. It’s not as fancy, but it’s more personal and also less expensive.

Your Presence Matters

Finally, there’s a strong sense in the real estate industry that, even though most people don’t interview multiple realtors, those personal relationships are critical. Without in-person interactions with your clients, you need to develop a strong web presence. You can guarantee that potential buyers will be perusing agent profiles to find someone they think they can trust with the biggest purchase they’ll ever make. Build helpful blog content, but focus on elements like video that let clients get a sense of your personality.

The real estate industry has evolved a lot in recent years, especially with the growth of property-focused startups, but we’re on the cusp of a moment in which we really have no idea what will come next. 

To that end, it’s important to stay flexible, whether you’re brand new to the industry or have been working in real estate for years. Think agility – the quicker you can adapt to the unknown, the more successful you’ll be.