It’s no secret that today’s digital world is creating an empowered consumer. Forrester summed it up nicely:
“Technology, information and connectivity are combining to instill in people a belief that they can have what they want, when, where and how they want it.”
Responsiveness has evolved from a nice-to-have to an expectation to a necessity. In fact, when it comes to the top traits consumers want in an agent, responsiveness ranks even higher than real estate knowledge and negotiation skills. And with more and more millennials entering the real estate market, the need for real-time response is only going to grow.
But it’s not just about responding quickly anymore—it’s about responding intelligently, answering questions and providing value. No matter where consumers are in the buying or selling cycle, you need to respond quickly with value on whatever channel they want.
Technology’s response in 2018
You’re not superhuman and your time is best spent building relationships and helping people, so technology has already responded with near-immediate responses on your behalf.
To take this a step further though, we predict that technology tools will finally be able to integrate all of their channels, giving you a 360-degree, holistic view of the consumer. So when you’re reaching out at lightning speed, you’ve got the insight you need to make an informed response and exceed expectations.
Impersonal and irrelevant experiences frustrate today’s connected consumers. With personalization comes relevancy, which is really what everyone wants in order to cut through the noise in today’s digital age.
Grabbing the attention of prospective customers is one thing—keeping them engaged beyond that is another matter entirely. You not only have to provide a personalized experience, but to keep them engaged, you have to anticipate their needs too. A tall order, but getting it right has some serious benefits. You’ll not only increase conversions and boost your bottom line, you’ll build strong relationships, which will lead to loyal customers.
Technology’s response in 2018
So just how do you do all this without help from your trusty unicorn and magic wand? Why, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) of course.
In 2018 we predict that A.I. will play an even greater role in marketing and sales, so you’ll be able to scale your business without sacrificing personalized customer service. The automation of tasks will free you up to focus on the face-to-face interactions that matter most. And context-aware technology tools will provide info about a consumers’ activities and preferences, anticipating needs and automatically serving up the most appropriate and customized content.
Some might say that technology is empowering us as consumers, while others might say our expectations are sky high and we’re downright spoiled.
One thing is for certain though—if you can use technology to provide the intelligence you need to deliver immediate, personalized and valuable experiences, you’ll be kicking butt and taking names in 2018.
Technology trends change frequently. These statements are believed to be true at the time of this article's publish date but not guaranteed.
