Lee Davenport

By Lee Davenport

“I just didn’t feel like she was putting in the effort needed to sell my home.”

Whoa. Mic and jaw drop.

This is not a hypothetical statement. I recently spoke to a homeowner who is beyond the point of frustration with his previous agent—whom he fired—due to the terrible service he received.

Double yikes.

These are not only challenging times for many, but they’re also unstable times. For nervous homeowners, there is solace in knowing that despite the uncertainty, real estate deals in many markets are picking up steam. Well, there’s solace until that seller interacts with a “professional” (let’s use that term loosely) broker or agent who doesn’t make customer service top priority.

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

This is where you come in.

In both the best of times and the worst of times, customer service matters. But in the worst of times (cough *pandemic,* cough *recession*), customer service can be the difference between  “feast or famine.” I won’t turn this into a lecture. Instead, here are a few of my current (summer 2020) favorite tech tools to help improve your customer service, differentiate yourself from the competition, and accelerate your business, particularly if you are a solo agent without a team. (Use as directed; doctor’s orders.)

PropertyRadar (currently in some markets, expanding nationally by September 2020): Get homeowner data that includes lead generation status updates (for example, if a mortgage is in default, etc.) with contact information that can include mail, email, phone, social media accounts.

Flash Briefings: More builders are making Amazon Alexa-enabled devices standard in homes. Flash briefings are an Alexa skill that offers short audio round-up on different topics. Real estate professionals can create their own flash briefing to share local market updates with consumers.

DotLoop’s Earnnest Integration: Did someone say encrypted digital transfers of earnest money directly from your electronic contract forms? Yes, please!

Chatfuel: Need a more efficient way to keep up with multiple Facebook messages from your prospects? This is one of many chatbots to explore.

Transactly: Interested in a tech-based transaction coordinator? You’re welcome! (Discount code DRLEE; no kickbacks to me.)

MyOutDesk: Looking for a virtual assistant that has been vetted by global professionals? This is inquiry worthy.

Calendly or Assistant.To: These two apps will help stop the seemingly endless game of email tag when scheduling appointments.

BSafe: When you are meeting a potential client (a.k.a. stranger danger), this app provides a way for you to let family, co-workers, and even the police track your whereabouts.