Tag Archive for: real estate technology

Flexibility quite often was an issue over the years within the real estate industry. Whether it was buyer representation or technological advancements, evolution occurred at a painstakingly slow pace. As someone who witnessed the latter, it was obvious how subpar response to consumer need and demand had taken place. I hope we’ve learned our lesson, but even so I have my skepticism.

Nevertheless, technology has come a long way: More recently, real estate tech has closed the gap, providing homebuyers and sellers more options for both searching and showcasing properties. We’ve experienced a deviation in how consumers are approaching digital content as a whole. Smart devices, cord-cutting, social media and videography have provided opportunities for real estate companies to connect with consumers earlier in the process. There’s more flexibility for REALTORS® as they brace, and I do emphasize brace, for 2021. Virtual home tours (or virtual open houses) and virtual staging are two advances I wish our industry had rolled out a few years ago. The industry, as a whole, wasn’t as proactive as it should have been. I argue, it took a pandemic to force the change.

Virtual home tours are a fantastic way for connecting buyers and sellers in a post-COVID world. With PAR guidelines as they presently exist, it’s extremely difficult to safely conduct and host an open house. More than one agent is required, almost certainly, not to mention the enforcement of PAR COVID forms/questionnaire prior to each and every party entering the premises. Then there’s social distancing, limiting the number of people who enter at one time, disinfecting the home, etc. New information has also been released from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), which suggests there might be an airborne component to transmission beyond a six foot distance. Needless to say, there are obvious challenges when hosting an open house right now.

The majority of homes listed in today’s market, like other products available online, should employ tours for prospective buyers. These home tours need to be dynamic, where users can engage with the property and gain a sense of what the space and rooms feel like. They should get a sense of the floors, ceilings, depth, closet space, foundation, among other things. After viewing the tour, they should almost presume they were physically onsite.

There’s a bright side to these obstacles though. With the onslaught of mobile technology and the strategic advantage of professional photography, virtual open houses are a superb way to capture buyers’ attention and expose sellers’ homes in an increasingly virtual real estate environment. Furthermore, being proactive in this new age of buying and selling is a smart move! Honestly, it’s good practice to have virtual home tours produced ready to go for buyers who either might not be able to access a home or might not want to access a home (because of distance or certain precautions being taken).

A second strategy the real estate industry is deploying these days is virtual staging sessions as well as virtual staging tech. These are terrific ways to connect with potential sellers. Homeowners receive guidance on how their homes can make an astounding first impression via virtual sessions, effectively staging them in this seller’s market. Staging strategies are shared through technology (Facetime, Facebook Messenger, Google Duo, etc.), from the property’s exterior (discussing landscaping and curb appeal) to highlighting key spaces within the interior, better equipping sellers for the road ahead. Tips presented by the agent can provide the homeowner with a leg up on the competition. Staging tech software and apps are also on the rise in 2020. Companies like Compass are beginning to use it, allowing consumers to see something other than vacant rooms as they search. By selecting a few key rooms, now agents, through the use of virtual staging software, have the ability to otherwise showcase those empty, boring rooms, creating a totally different experience for buyers.

Though virtual components of real estate are extremely auspicious now, nothing can replace the sensory experience of a buyer – nothing. The texture of surfaces or the smells of the home or the make-up of the neighborhood cannot be reproduced on video. Ultimately, while we seek to utilize this technology in our market, physically bringing buyers into a property is the ideal – at the very least before an offer is submitted to the selling Brokerage.

Activity has been particularly lively this year at Realty Network Group. Besides the increased activity from both homebuyers and sellers this year over last, we’ve been excited about our new office. Our Clarks Summit office went through an major remodeling in 2019 and has a fresh, new modern look. We also opened a new branch office in the Valley area, located at 814 Main Street in Dickson City. Finally, if that wasn’t enough excitement, we’re thrilled to announce the relaunch of our Website – realtynetwork.net.

Thanks to many of our visitors, last year our firm was awarded “Best Real Estate Website” in Northeastern Pennsylvania (Reader’s Choice 2018). This was quite an honor! And while we were proud of the previous online site, we’ve made a bunch of upgrades to it. Presently, we provide distinctive channels of exposure for our clients through use of social media paid promotion, high-quality photography, drone and videography, in addition to other traditional forms of advertising. Our revamped Website is not only another extraordinary channel, but also a powerful tool for buyers and sellers alike. Each of our client’s situations is unique and therefore requires a custom marketing action plan involving local market trends. This new channel will provide our clients with more exposure and deeper insight into those trends.

“Our new real estate Website is now powered with an even more sophisticated search,” emphasized Dianne Montana, Managing Broker of Realty Network Group. “Over the years, as advances in technology have caught the real estate industry off guard, we’ve always sought to stay ahead of the curve. Many real estate sites lack the tools necessary to connect with consumers. We’ve made recent changes ensuring that wouldn’t be us. We’re trending up these days.”

The new realtynetwork.net features an advanced real estate search (utilizing a state-of-the-art real estate plugin); lakefront, just listed and open house properties; free home value reports; school district information; market statistics and trends; buyer and seller tools; mobile-friendly navigation; and much more. Perhaps the biggest benefit of the new Website is its simplified user experience making navigation a breeze for visitors.

As we continue to grow in 2019 and beyond, Realty Network Group is a brand that’s committed to both its clients and its network of real estate professionals. We genuinely care about our clients’ needs and we work as a team collaborating with our real estate professionals. Each real estate transaction is unique. We pride ourselves on listening to our clients and the challenges they face. Alleviating the stress of homebuyers and sellers and assisting our REALTORS® in setting realistic goals and achieving them is what we do best. Our professionals adhere to the highest standards of compliance in the industry. We value and market our clients’ most valuable assets always with one goal in mind – connecting buyers and sellers.

(revised August 14, 2019)