![Real Estate Tech in your Brokerage: 5 Tips for Rollout [and Overcoming Challenges]](https://www.smarteragent.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Spotlight-leslie-4.png)
Real Estate Tech in your Brokerage: 5 Tips for Rollout [and Overcoming Challenges]
With a title like Director of Agent Tools, Leslie Huckaby knows a thing or two about adopting best-in-class tech. And if your firm is Revelation Real Estate, who is ranked one of the Top 10 Single Office Brokerages in the country, and had $123 million in closed volume (in November alone!), you don’t get there by chance.
Leslie, who has been in the real estate industry for the past 17 years, has successfully rolled out and trained her 800+ agents on “only the most effective tools, like our Smarter-Agent-powered real estate app.” This has played a big role in allowing them to not only recruit, but retain “right-fit” agents.
Leslie’s top tips to roll out new tech and overcome the challenges:
1. Show your value
If your agents are having a hard time nurturing leads into clients, then using a tool like a Smarter-Agent-powered app gives them an opportunity to get results.
Leslie explains, “Whether our agents are dealing with a buyer or seller, we like them to have the right tools to add value. By listing a property in the app they are showing their leads, ’This is why I am valuable to you. I am using the most advanced data and tools to market your property and sell it fast, and that is why I am a step above the competition.’
The gist: When introducing new tech in your firm, highlight what problem it will solve for your agents. This will increase usage.
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2. Coach agents and allow easy wins
For many agents, the thought of using new tech can be overwhelming.
If agents have a small success with new tech right off the bat, they will realize its value and will continue to use it. “The first thing I recommend to agents is to use the app at their Open Houses.”
“Traditionally, you have a sign-in sheet. But if they use their app, it takes it a step further—they have an icebreaker to say, ‘Hey, are you planning on going to any other open houses today? Because my app can drive you right to them!’ If you press the Open Houses button, you will see a whole list of local open houses in the area and you can use the navigation feature in the app to take you right to them!”
The gist: Coaching agents early on will empower them to continue use of tech.
3. Bridge new tech with tried and true strategies
Even when new tech is showcased at a firm, some agents will still be married to using their tried-and-true methods.
Leslie provides her agents with strategies to combine traditional methods with their app to expand their sphere of influence.
“I recommend if agents have a listing, they share it from the app with their seller. They can then ask their seller to share it with their sphere, friends and coworkers. They can say, “Hey, if you know anyone interested in this listing, let my agent know.”
Leslie explains, “You are now not only marketing and promoting your specific listing, but you have a seller promoting you. It is almost a direct referral.”
“By implementing your app, you have expanded your leads with little effort.”
The gist: Using new tech with old techniques can expand your network and lead to referrals.
4. Integrate your real estate tech
If you are already using a tool that you really like, you don’t have to do away with it. Figure out a way to build it into your tech stack.
For Revelation, Leslie was looking for a way to connect Buyside. They were able to integrate a custom, What’s my home worth? button to the homescreen in their app.
For added value for the consumer, “A user can click the button and they are taken directly to that agent’s seller evaluation page in Buyside. If they see a beautiful home while searching in the app, they can find out on the spot what they would need to sell their current home and they are still in direct contact with that agent. It’s a win/win.”
The gist: Technology should make your life easier and build a framework that covers all the problems your firm is looking to solve.
5. Use friendly competition
To get agents to be more receptive when rolling out new tech Leslie posts about the app in their interoffice newsletter. “I like to motivate with a little healthy competition to drive productivity… I post, ‘Oh hey, Jeremy had the most downloads and who wants to take him down?’ Haha. And then the agents say, ‘Oh wow, that’s great…Hey, I’m gonna get you next month!’”
Leslie also encourages agents to sign up for our weekly webinars to stay fresh on updates and new features.
Give Leslie’s techniques a try and let us know how it worked or let us know any tech tips that have worked in your firm.