Planning & Technology Tools: 20 Tips From Agents & Brokers

Real estate is a people-centric business. We've shared insights from brokers and agents about how their relationship and communication skills have led to deals. The right planning, management, and technology systems can free up hours every day for you to focus on the human side of the business, streamline tasks, and save money and aggravation.

Here are ways today's brokers and agents are using creative management techniques and automation to grow their businesses.

Prioritize Planning and Management

1. "Every agent must maintain a good cooperative relationship with their fellow agents. This is a relationship business." — Jason Wilson, Senior Managing Director, Compass“
2. "Treat everyone right and the money will follow ... sharing when I can has never steered me wrong." — Mark Brace, Brace Homes
3. "Get up earlier! Most agents get up around 7 or 8, or whenever they feel like it. If you start getting up at 5 each day, that gives you two hours more each day, which is 520 extra hours each year. ... Imagine what you could do with almost 52 more days than the other guy!" — Travis Carroll, Oxford Property Group
4. "Keeping to a schedule and planning for your day before it arrives can help alleviate the stress of 100 'to-dos' running through your head." — Nathan Claire, Real Estate Agent, Buying Jax Homes
5. "I have seen it all over ten years. Without a plan, all the expensive tools don't help. Most agents will do something for a little bit, then do another thing, then move on to something else or retry something then move on from it. It's a circle of business death." — Bill Tierney, Coastal Countryside Properties
6. "Get up. Makeup. Dress up. Make this time, and any time, your finest hour as a Realtor®." Miranda Zhang, The Adimari Group of The Address Inc.

Invest in Technology

1. "Identify the tools and technologies that best align with your audience, expertise, and overall value proposition. Do you specialize in — and do your clients count on — in-depth data analysis? Does your business rely on high-quality photos and videos you share on Instagram or the virtual tools or staging you offer? Clarifying priorities is especially critical when entering into less-predictable times like now." — Ryan Taaffe, Agent, Keller Williams
2. "Embrace AI. We are using artificial intelligence to identify sellers before they even know they are ready to sell. Embracing technology enables our agents to work smarter and focus their follow-up efforts on the hottest leads." — Boyd Rudy, Dwellings by Rudy & Hall
3. "Technology has allowed me to engage directly with my audience in real time. Today's clients want instant responses via DM (direct message) rather than a formal presentation.” — Ajay Gohil, Real Estate Agent
4. “I can virtually show properties, manage transactions and keep in touch with clients without a support staff. For years, I have used videos to provide out-of-town clients video walkthroughs on properties and some of my clients have bought properties sight unseen.” — Nancy Brook, MBA, Broker and CEO, Billings Best Real Estate
5. “DocuSign has helped me tremendously with being able to get documents/offers signed remotely. My clients can be anywhere in the world, and still be able to sign it as long as they have access to their emails, even on their mobile phones!” — Sue Vine, Broker and Realtor®, Sue Vine Real Estate
6. “I connect with buyers and sellers in other countries. Buyers saw my videos in Australia and Italy and purchased multiple properties from me.” — Christian Ross, Managing Broker, Engel & Völkers Atlanta
7. “Technology has paved the way for me to develop an SEO-friendly blog, allowing me to rank near the top of Google search results for real estate related terms in my market, effectively giving me 24/7 passive lead generation.” Matthew Myre, CEO and Lead Agent, Berri Properties
8. “I was able to open multiple offices with several employees throughout the state using remote desktop technology. We also use electronic measuring devices to help speed up our inspection times.” — Mason R. Spurgeon, Owner, Spurgeon Appraisal
9. “In short, technology has helped my business to be more agile. Signing documents online and late at night, showing virtual properties when clients can’t see them in person, running predictive analytics to help my clients price their homes, and not to mention the many ways to market my business online. ” Kate Fisher, Real Estate Broker, Compass
10. “The cloud in all its forms has made working in real estate much easier. We can access all of our files and email from anywhere and easily reach one another. Working from home is no different than working in the office.” — James McGrath, Real Estate Broker, Yoreevo
11. “Zoom conferencing technology is our favorite tool for collaboration to keep our remote employees connected via video teleconferencing.” — David Reischer, Real Estate Agent and Attorney, LegalAdvice.com
12. “As a broker who owns a remote brokerage with agents across the state, my favorite technology tool is transaction management software.  My agents can create folders for each transaction and send their documents out for signatures electronically.  I have 24/7 access to their files even though I am located in a different area of the state.” — Molly Lasater, CEO and Broker, SOLID Real Estate Services
13. “My phone is my lifeline with work.  From unlocking houses to virtual tours, to texting, email, and keeping everything on Google Drive — my business is virtually paperless.” — Rebekah Carr, Designer and Owner, Sweet Bay Design & Realty
14. “Real estate investment analysis software, and the proliferation of real estate data, has enabled me to provide more thorough analyses to clients.  A well-presented analysis helps clients better understand the investment options under consideration.” — John Castle, Investment Real Estate Agent, Keller Williams

It's more important than ever to invest in ways to streamline your operations, build and maintain solid internal and external relationships, and use technologies that give you insights and more effective marketing. These are the keys to staying ahead in today's fast-paced real estate market.

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