COVID-19
What a whirlwind of a month. With the COVID-19 pandemic taking hold of our nation and indeed the world, many of us have been feeling completely overwhelmed and anxious about what this could all mean for the real estate industry. Let me just reassure you that the real estate industry is strong, we’re resilient, we’re adaptive, we’re dynamic and we will get through this.
So it’s time to make a shift. Time to turn off the endless news reports, time to stop focusing on what we can’t do and more at what we can do, and that is to help our clients sell, lease and buy property.
Of course the way we do this is going to change there’s no doubt about that. Government restrictions around open houses, auctions and tenancies have meant that we need to reshape and refine the way we operate in order to ensure we keep moving forward.
Let’s Get Technical
The main shift we will need to make is around the use of technology. Now is not the time for the; “Oh I don’t do technology” chat. We need to get really, really good at Facetime, exceptional at video and be gurus at PowerPoint. All of our connections and conversations in the coming months are going to rely on the use of cloud tools. From listing appointments to buyer inspections to negotiations and auctions, we need to become experts in having these conversations and presenting properties in a virtual world.
Start in and work your way out
My advice in adopting these new technologies is to start in and work your way out. What I mean by that is start using these programs internally before using them with clients. Work with your team or, if you are a solo operator, find a friend and run through a listing presentation via zoom. The more you use this technology in-house, the more confident you will be to use it externally. There are also online training courses that can help you master interactive PowerPoints and videos. See this as an opportunity to build on your skill set and learn new ways of marketing property. My prediction is that this might be the catalyst for our industry to really step it up in the technical space and that is actually pretty exciting.
Conversations are still a huge part of what we do
Remember that technology is only one part of our story. At the end of the day we are still in the people business and we still need to regularly engage and connect with our buyers, sellers and tenants. Over the next few weeks as we navigate our new “normal” (well, our normal for now), you may find that you have more time to have these conversations – make sure you are using that time. Reconnect with buyers, engage with sellers and keep the conversation flowing with your tenants. There are going to be some opportunities to come out of this period so position yourself to take hold of these.
Together we are stronger
This is no doubt a challenging period for many businesses and individuals. There is still a level of uncertainly and ongoing changes to our way of life. One of the most effective ways we can manage this stress is to focus on the actions that are in our control. Now is the time to show compassion, empathy and kindness. Stay connected, stay positive, (stay at home!) and together, we will navigate these times and come out stronger, fitter and healthier than ever before.
If you want to stay up to date with what’s happening in the industry, best ways of navigating theses times and remain refreshed, energised and clear-minded then join me on my weekly FREE webinar
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