From the desk of Janelle Pfleiger, CRS, 2016 president
Our industry, like many others, is in a constant state of evolution. Technology, the highlighted topic of this issue, is pushing real estate in new, exciting and uncertain ways. The internet continues to irreversibly change the home buying and selling process, conveying a serve-yourself style of real estate transaction where more buyers and sellers are questioning the value we provide.
That, coupled with a number of unqualified and untrained agents that these consumers sometimes encounter,means clients start to challenge our commissions (and if you need more convincing, check out NAR’s Danger Report).
Yet we know the value of what we offer: significant experience, market and regulatory knowledge, and skills and tools to get our clients what they want, whether they are selling or buying. We know real experience and expertise pays off through earning higher sales prices or scoring that dream house for a client at the best price.
The CRS Designation signals to consumers and other agents that you are a highly-qualified, trustworthy agent. It’s more vital now than ever to emphasize this next-level knowledge to every client (or potential client) that comes your way. No matter how the tide turns, no online technology can replace the value of having an educated, experienced advocate in your corner who knows how to maneuver to a successful close.
And CRS is your partner behind the scenes, so you can go out and do what you do best: Work for your clients. In this issue, we report on 16 tech tools to help you get the job done smarter, faster and easier. Soon, we’ll be offering two new initiatives that will help take the back-end burden off you: Agentdesks, a mobile-first customer relationship management (CRM) tool, streamlining your interactions with clients and providing you with reminders to boost your follow-up game. We’ll also be offering a virtual assistant service that can deliver a helping hand, assisting you with your daily real estate activities.
Both of these new opportunities are being rolled out now, so watch for your CRS emails and check the website for the latest updates.
With a freshly updated arsenal of tools at your disposal, our goal is to help free up your time to develop those knowledge-based skills that consumers are demanding, providing that invaluable insight your clients need.
