By Matthew Rathbun, CRS
Technology was a concept that agents have historically either thought was a good tool to give them a competitive edge, or was something optional, but has now emerged to be the only way to serve our client’s needs.
I began my career in my 20s about 18 years ago, and within months of being licensed, I found myself in a classroom of experienced agents sharing about my experience of having a website. At the end of the session, a huddle of agents thanked me for my time and then pointedly told me that the internet wasn’t a sustainable way to market myself. It was a fad, they said. Fast-forward to a recent class that I taught about the power of virtual reality and augmented reality. At the end of the class some agents came up to thank me for my time and then told me that virtual and augmented reality wasn’t a sustainable way to market. It was a fad, they said. Almost two decades apart … same mentality and same misunderstanding.
A new world
Now, we find our world has changed. COVID-19, coronavirus, a pandemic … call it what you will, it has changed us. Overnight, agents who had avoided the changing world and neglected truly understanding emerging tools were racing to quickly understand how to use virtual meeting spaces like Zoom.com to conduct closings, do client interviews and engage their clients. Concepts like eNotary, video streaming home showings to a remote buyer with tools like duo.google.com, and regulations about when we physically had to be with clients for inspections all became a priority to understand. Tools for virtual reality tours, such as immoviewer.com, were no longer an option, they were a requirement, as sellers were fearful that the coronavirus would be brought into their home, and therefore wanted buyers to see their home remotely.
We experienced a shift in our focus out of the necessity to serve our clients, but to do it remotely as we work from home. Home was no longer just a refuge from a long day. Home had now become a refuge from illness, our children’s school, our new office—a place to be safe from a real threat. Agents found new ways to conduct business from home and settle into their own norm, while listening to their client’s stresses and needs.
Learning curve
We are learning the value of collaborating online through cloud-based systems and the power of merging our physical lives and technology. We’re using social media to connect with others and preserve our humanity, seeing talented individuals stream their music online and communities live-stream lifesaving advice. And we’re hosting happy hours by video.
The world has always been heading to this point. But this worldwide crisis has expedited the maturation of the tools we have found necessary to master so we can continue to meet the needs of families who trust us to help them with the next chapter of their lives. As we help people move forward, these tools and resources will continue to be a staple in our practices, and we will adapt to the new world as we always have as an industry for over 100 years. We will get back to meeting with clients to see their excitement at purchasing their first home—but we will not forget how much we depended on technology to keep us moving forward.
Matthew’s next class is “Virtual and Augmented Reality in Real Estate” on August 8. Visit CRS.com/catalogsearch for more.
