The pandemic has forever changed the way many industries do business, and real estate is no exception. Lockdowns, which made in-person showings difficult, fast-tracked the use of virtual tours and other forms of "proptech" (property technology).
These technological advancements made it more convenient for agents to market themselves, allowed clients to conduct property searches online, and streamlined the closing process, making it much easier for both buyers and sellers to submit documents.
Without further ado, let's dive right into some of the most exciting must-have tech that every real estate agent should use in 2022.
3D Virtual Home Tours
Photos can be deceiving. That's why today's buyers are in love with 3D home tours.
3D home tours help buyers understand the layout of the home, better grasp the room sizes, and decide if the home could really potentially work for them before scheduling an appointment to see it.
Companies like Matterport allow you to transform any space into a digitally accurate replica just by using your smartphone and their Axis-motorized mount. You download the images onto an app and can manage the resulting 3D models in the cloud. This is a cost-effective solution to a technology that is fast becoming essential.
Conversational AI
AI has come a long way from those annoying chat boxes that can be so frustrating to prospective clients who visit your website. Today's AI solutions are adaptive, becoming more nuanced as they receive and synthesize new information.
That means you'll never have to keep your cell on 24/7, hoping to catch every important call. And your clients are more likely to feel that their needs are being met as well.
Blockchain
Although it is most commonly associated with the manufacture of cryptocurrency, blockchain technology can also be used to verify encrypted real estate documents and transactions, minimizing the risk of fraud.
Remote Online Notary (RON)
Finding a notary has been, historically, one of the most annoying tasks associated with all that paperwork you need to submit at closing. Remote online notary services like Notarize.com take one more chore off every seller's to-do list, making it quick and easy to get documents officially notarized via your smartphone or device.
Although it's not available in every state, RON is one of the many digital prop-tech solutions every real estate agent should use in 2022.
Big Data
Big data has been around for a while, helping to determine real estate comparables even in difficult situations. In fact, according to McKinsey & Company, 60% of predictive power comes from nontraditional variables, making machine learning algorithms an important proptech toolfor most real estate agents.
Big data can also predict things like rental rate increases, which helps commercial real estate clients determine what is the best investment for them. It also allows buyers and sellers to become more educated about home valuation, which makes your job as a real estate agent a little bit easier.
CRM Tools
A CRM (client relationship management) tool is vital for every single agent. It tracks your clients through the buying or selling process, records your lead sources so you can see which marketing efforts are paying off, and reminds you to follow up with old leads and past clients to earn repeat business and referrals.
Gmail actually offers a simple CRM. It’s called Streak for Gmail. And the best part: the basic version is totally free! It’s ideal for new agents on a tight budget.
Social Media Marketing
Of course, you also need some tech to help with your social media marketing. Your prospective clients are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. So you need to be there too!
Homesnap Pro is a cutting-edge tech tool that integrates MLS data to help you automatically promote your listings across platforms like Facebook and Instagram. You can create a campaign as soon as the listing is in the MLS, and Homesnap Pro will schedule posts on social media so you don’t have to spend your time manually creating individual posts. It’s a set it and forget it solution.
Hootsuite is another option for scheduling and automating social posts. It’s not real estate specific, but it covers some social networks that Homesnap pro doesn’t currently cover (like Twitter and Pinterest).
If you’re a little overwhelmed by social media marketing, check out our free guide, Mastering the Art of Social Media Marketing.
Video Marketing
Very few agents are taking advantage of video marketing. This is great for you because you can easily differentiate yourself from your competitors with a little video marketing.
Oh, and you’re about 50% more likely to show up on Google’s first page of search results if you include video on your web pages. If you want to capture online leads, you need video marketing.
Video marketing obviously requires some tech, but less than you probably expect. You don’t need a fancy camera or editing software. In fact, you can take advantage of video marketing just by using your cell phone.
Task Management
Trello is a smart task management tool that organizes your many to-dos. This is a life-saver for keeping track of big-picture projects. As a new agent, for example, you’ll have your hands full with all the tasks you need to complete to go from Day-1 Agent to Business-is-up-and-running Agent. Trello can help!
If you’re part of a real estate team, you may want to consider that old standby, Slack. Slack is a collaborative online workspace that integrates with your other tech to help you make sense of your whole business world at-a-glance.
Its collaborative features make communication with your whole team seamless, helping you stay connected to your team even when everyone is on the move.
Looking to Fast Track Your Real Estate Career?
Aceable Agent can help. We offer fully online state-approved real estate courses, including continuing ed and post-licensing courses to help you get your license. We also provide loads of tips and information to get your career off and running through our Real Estate Career and Resource Center.