Variety is the "spice of life". If that is truly the case, there is a spicy new blend cooking up in the kitchens of Commercial Real Estate. Traditionally, real estate was all about handshake and warm chatter, developing relationships with friends, neighbors, the obvious relatives who you didn't use to speak to and colleagues, although that one is sometimes treacherous at best.
While there is still need for that handshaking and one-on-one networking, a new breed of Commercial Real Estate agents are emerging with a different picture of "networking". Our wonderful techy friends at what I will call "Big Boy/Big Girl Toy Manufacturers" are continuously launching everything from bigger, smaller, better, faster and now they are customizing them for the real estate industry. Not only can my clients connect with me electronically in real time, but I can update them on the status of their property transactions, paperwork, etc. via mobile transmission.
We Tweet, we Digg, we Friend, we Ping, we Post, we IM, we DM...the list goes on. My biggest concern as a member of this poignant brew is that we do not lose sight of the fact that we are people serving other people. The same technology that keeps us connected and everyone "in the loop" is a double-edged sword that can serve as an impersonal vice in our business.
It all goes back to the saying your mama told you when you were little, "To have a friend you must be a friend". If I want someone to trust me, to have loyalty towards me, some of the wares that I bring to the client's table must be:
- Engage - Take a personal interest in my client. Get inside their head and find out what they want. The biggest insult is offering your client things they have no interest in due to the fact that you can't afford to get off your Twitter account long enough to find out who they really are. Do you know what their favorite wine is? Do you know where they like to eat? Do you know what their company's "style" is?
- Time - Closely related to "Engage", time is so important. It is also a balancing act because you do have a life beyond real estate, so planning, organization and management are key.
- Communication - but let me be more specific. If you performed your due diligence on #1, then you know what TYPE of communication your client prefers. Your client may care less that you have a new DROID that you can't wait to break in. On the other side, they could have a crazier, busier life than you do (yes, it is possible) and not have time to do lunch with you once a week. It's not about your preference...get out from behind the wheel my friend - the customer is driving this vehicle.
- Effort - I'm utilizing this word because it encompasses all of the services that are due to my client to best serve them including due diligence on market research, property analysis, investment analysis, marketing, networking and even beating a bush or two to make sure that they are able to sell or lease their property at the best possible price point or find the commercial property that fits their vision like great new pair of blades.
All in all, technology is great. I am the techy girl at the office. I get excited about new apps which provide me with new abilities. I just need to keep my wits about me and remember that nothing replaces facetime with a customer and new technology is just another "extension of my business arm" to reach out further and faster to achieve my goals.
