Three things matter more in real estate than anything else: location, location, location. When it comes to buying and selling property, location has a greater effect than nearly any other factor. The same can largely be said of brokerages themselves: when they are in more desirable locations, their chances of success increase.
With the economic downturn in 2008, many brokerages downsized their offices and moved to less expensive locations. These locations wound up being farther from city centers and sought-after neighborhoods. Many broker/owners also had to put updating their offices on the back burner to weather the drastic slowdown in business. Today, things are looking up, but better economic times have been paired with technological advances that allow agents to work when and where they want, reducing the importance of brick-and-mortar locations.
For many years now, brokers have had to make smart choices about what they invest their hard-earned money in. With the rebalancing of the North American real estate market, many are deciding that it is time for some much-needed upgrades. What better time, then, to invest in a technology like dynamic digital signage?
Why Would My Brokerage Want Digital Signage?
Dynamic digital signage is so more than scrolling banners and slide shows on a monitor. It is an integrated communications tool that can push customized content to any screen you choose, whether it be a tablet, mobile device, desktop screensaver, or 50-foot-tall outdoor screen. What's more, it is also a way to demonstrate to your current and prospective clients that you are up on trends and keeping with the latest technological advances. Since the technology as it exists today is still relatively new, it can be a way to differentiate yourself from your competitors.
Some Unexpected Benefits of Digital Signage
Elevate your brand perception. Digital signage is sleek, contemporary, and appealing. Using new technology to improve your business shows your clients and employees that you care about how your brand is perceived and the quality of your image. The top-of-the-line tools provided by digital signage are perfect for demonstrating that you care and are willing to invest in yourself.
Project value. Digital signage is an investment, but as Claude Allard mentions in our case study about how RE/MAX uses digital signage, it can do the work of a full-time administrative assistant and be automatically updated 24 hours a day. Therefore, over the long term, the advantages provided by digital signage will more than pay for themselves while providing value-added services to your clients and employees.
Make your agents' jobs easier. Digital signage is more than just listings on a screen. It facilitates internal and external communication, administrative tasks, and marketing. Agents can tap in and out of the office, deliver better listings presentations, and be up to date on the inventory, transactions, and performance of the brokerage. When you have the right software powering your digital signage, all the data your office keeps can be automatically transferred to a display to tell the story of the day, showcasing the brokerage itself, its customer service, and its culture to agents and clients alike. Learn more about the varied ways digital signage can be used in real estate.
Still Not Convinced? Let Us Paint You a Picture.
A prospective client arrives at your brokerage. While waiting, she sees how many sales you've made in the last 30 days and pictures of the beautiful properties that have been sold on a screen in your waiting room. Your administrative assistant pulls up a screen that shows which agents are available and their areas of expertise. The right agent is called up to the front desk, fast! The client engages with the agent and joins him in a free conference room to discuss her needs. The agent can review listings on a beautiful large screen display with the client before seamlessly transitioning to a laptop or tablet at any point during the meeting. The agent and client can speak at ease, build rapport, and browse listing, pictures, video, specs, locations, and more. The client swipes through and chooses her favorites. The agent pulls up his schedule to find a time to show the properties to the client, who is impressed with how professional, prepared, and organized the agent is. And… since the same attendance feature that was used initially shows that the agent is busy and that the conference room is occupied, the agent conducts the meeting undisturbed. As the client leaves the brokerage, she sees that during her meeting, the brokerage closed another major sale and the closing agent is featured on the same screen in the waiting room.
Sound too good to be true? It's not! Get in touch with us today to discuss how we can turn this picture into a reality. Rather than investing in art for your walls or new curtains for your windows this year, why not invest in something that will pay you back and improve your business instead?
