Mobile Technology for Real Estate “Makes Sense”
For real estate agents and broker owners alike, the realization of mobile technology and its application to the real estate industry has become a fact of business today.
With that in mind, we were curious to see what a real estate agent feels about the mobile real estate trend.
We spoke with Nicole Beauchamp, an agent with Warburg Realty in NYC. In the industry for a little more than eight years, she has watched the dawn and rise of mobile real estate, along with other recent trends. Here’s her take:
SA – What technology advances have you seen make a difference for RE in your tenure?
NB – Connectivity- and by this I don’t necessarily mean social media, but the proliferation of cell phones and mobile internet access. Everyone seems to be much more connected these days, which can be both a good and a bad thing.
When I first started selling real estate, some of my colleagues at the time wondered why I had a device where I could receive email when not at a computer. Today it is pretty rare for me to encounter anyone without a smart phone or regular access to their emails – both colleagues and consumers alike.
Generally, all of this connectivity and its effects are both good and bad. It can make communications faster and transactions run much more smoothly, provided everyone is communicating. However, when everyone (in the loop) isn’t communicating, it can feel like a log jam, which can be amplified because we have all grown used to a specific meter to our engagements and connections.
SA – How does mobile deviate/stand out from other technological advances in real estate that you’ve seen?
NB – Mobile (for real estate) just seems to make sense. So much of our lives are lived away from our homes and offices- the lines are definitely blurred. I’ve seen the shifts with consumers I have worked with, my family and friends as well as myself. I rarely leave my home, whether I am working or not, without my smart phones or my iPad. It is at times astounding how often I will use my iPad to do something even when I have the option to use a computer.
During RE Bar Camp and Inman Connect in New York this January, I ran my business from my iPad, iPhone and Blackberry for the entire week, all of which fit in my handbag- truly extraordinary! I have seen texting become a major way people communicate (whether we like it or not)-because of the ease of use and cost, as well as seemingly being less intrusive than phone calls.
Because we, in a very real sense, carry our lives in our pockets, the trend in using location-based services and mobile marketing makes sense. How often have I been in an area and wondered what great restaurant is 
nearby? The same seems to be true of real estate clients.
SA – What would you say to an agent that was on the fence about mobile and Smarter Agent?
NB – I would say to look around you and observe what is going on in your environment, ask your current and past clients and customers what their feelings are. Notice how people are interacting with businesses and services. As agents we are hired to help someone find a home, and should utilize the tools to streamline the process.
Real estate applications are very much part of every day real estate transactions, whether your brand has taken the step towards mobilizing your real estate brand or not. Are you ready to take advantage of the benefits that real estate applications add to your ability to build brand awareness and streamline your transactions? The time for mobile real estate is now.
Nicole Beauchamp is a sales agent with Warburg Realty in New York City. Learn more about her real estate business through the following links:
www.yournycrealestateresource.com
www.nicolebeauchamp.info ,or www.nicolebeauchamp.com