MOBILITY AND REAL-TIME INTELLIGENCE: THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION IN REALTY

In the real estate industry, which is an increasingly mobile profession, with brokers and agents running open houses, meeting prospective clients, executing on-site transactions and inspecting residential or commercial properties -- all of this activity is both a symbol of opportunity, as well as a reminder that, with teams of professionals working beyond a conventional office, there should be an easy way to monitor all of these events in real-time.

Indeed, the (until recently) missing component to maximizing the use of smartphones and tablets - unifying these devices, so professionals can relay information to a central location and managers can better assess how and when to deploy brokers - is now available for all businesses.

In practical terms, this milestone is revolutionary because, once a broker has a smartphone or tablet, along with a customized application, executives or Directors of Operations can see a digital map, color-coded to their specifications (green for brokers en route from one meeting to another, versus red for those who are stationary or spending an unusual amount of time in one place), as well as displays of how many agents are within a certain area, how long it takes an agent to guide current or prospective clients on multiple home tours, and whether a territory needs more or fewer brokers to better balance employee resources and consumer needs.

This technology resource is, far from an intrusive or invasive tool, a vital form of intelligence: It allows office managers to maximize their workforce, reposition brokers who can be more successful in other regions and measure (in time, fuel costs and the hours between meetings) how productive a broker is.

I write these words from experience - and with enthusiasm - as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing forDigitalDispatcher.com, which actualizes the principles responsible for having a successful mobile workforce. In fact, this option, in contrast to the antiquated (but incredibly expensive) "bricks" that UPS or FedEx drivers use to confirm delivery of a package, or some financial professionals use as a means of securing a digital signature for a lease or loan -- our tool is the economical, easy-to-use and secure solution every business can enjoy.

For REALTORS, for the hundreds of brokers who traverse broad swaths of territory (from downtown to the sea, or from suburban townships to city centers), this tool enables them to conduct and finalize transactions remotely, send that information from their smartphone or tablet instantaneously, and broaden the circle of communications.

If anything, this tool incentivizes brokers to promote their achievements in real-time, without waiting for a three- or six-month review. A manager can see - the on-screen map is command central for all of this data - how many deals a broker closes in a day, a week or a month - without having to reserve a workday to exclusively tabulate numbers, sift through piles of paper and issue post-event analysis about a broker's performance.

Also, this information can reveal which neighborhoods have the most activity, or which areas have, say, a high concentration of For Sale signs but few visitors. In that situation - again, in real-time - a manager can send his or her best agents, who may also be within quick driving distance of the property, to meet with a prospective buyer who is en route to the same place -- and this process seamlessly unfolds from the main office, literally dispatching brokers to initiate or finalize a deal.

With this degree of simplicity and abundance of easy-to-decipher data, everyone is part of a strategically coordinated, rapidly responsive and highly mobile organization. From there, clients can enjoy improved service and greater satisfaction, furthering the positive word-of-mouth marketing that realtors need and every business covets. So, yes, by integrating these solutions and streamlining operations, brokers can complete more transactions, earn higher commissions and be ready to roll, so to speak, whenever a potential buyer calls or a seller wants to list a property.

The full rewards of having a mobile workforce are now here. Through transparency of information and clarity of communication, we can transform the real estate industry. That shift benefits everyone - buyers and sellers, and landlords and tenants - enabling managers to channel their resources and succeed, period.

Written by: Bill Stomp, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for DigitalDispatcher.com.
Bill can be contacted at: [email protected]