Some brokerages are looking to go mobile with the technology they give their agents, helping them stay as productive as possible out of the office.
With real estate agents constantly on the go – showing homes, preparing documentation for closings, hosting open houses and more – the need to be as effective as possible while on the road is essential.
Some brokerages in southeastern New Hampshire recognize the value that mobile-friendly tech tools and powerful software have in the industry. These tools helped eliminate cumbersome reams of paper agents formerly lugged around. And in most cases, the tools eschew the need for heavy laptops in favor of something more portable: the cell phone or tablet.
“Agents should focus on selling. That’s what they do best,” said Dave Karoly, vice president of sales at Lamacchia Realty.
Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, the firm is expanding in Southeastern New Hampshire and has approximately 30 realtors in the area. It utilizes cutting-edge tech tools to help agents be as efficient as possible, Karoly said.
The company invested over $1 million in heavily customized software which it launched earlier this year to replace its old customer relationship management system. Based on SalesForce, the Lamacchia Force app was created by an in-house software engineer who is constantly updating and improving its usability and features.
“It walks agents through every step – from the initial lead to when to call, what to do to sign up a client, offering reminders to follow up – and more,” Karoly said.
Likewise, the software can be used on the mobile devices that agents already have with them. It keeps them connected to the brokerage’s staff as well, which keeps everyone on the same page. The tool helps agents to manage the millions of little things along the way, Karoly said, and the agency has seen a 100 percent-plus increase in the average number of sales closed by many of its new agents.
While newer agents enjoy the monthly newsletters sent out via the app along with all the helpful reminders, it works just as well for more experienced agents.
“The heavy hitters get different advantages,” said Karoly, but all find tracking and managing clients and listings are much more effective with the app in place.
‘A Completely Different Business’
Erin LaSorsa, a Realtor and photographer with Coco, Early & Assoc. in Epping also utilizes tech tools to streamline her workweek. The use of Dotloop for all real estate-related paperwork, for instance, was a game-changer, she said, allowing her clients to sign documents electronically, eliminating the need for them to schedule time and appear in the office.
“Things have changed so much with the invention of the internet and cell phones that it’s just a completely different business now,” LaSorsa said via email. “We do the majority of our work while in the car and people can sign contracts while sitting on a beach. It’s pretty wild.”
LaSorsa estimates that she spends at least 80 percent of her workweek utilizing some form of technology and the remaining portion showing properties and meeting with clients.
Not all tech tools have proven useful, however. LaSorsa said that she wants something that will make her life easier and if it doesn’t, she won’t bother with it.
“As a busy Realtor, I don’t have time to mess around with software that is difficult to use or doesn’t take into account everything the person who it’s marketed to will need it for,” she said.
