Tech Tools Real Estate Agent Need to Maximize in 2021
In this article, we’ll share which tech tools every real estate agent needs to maximize to expand their business and become more efficient.
Selling properties is all about building trust. But being a real estate agent comes with many responsibilities—assisting sellers and buyers, understanding each client’s needs and requirements at every stage of the sales and buying process, and performing comparative market analysis. Given that agents juggle all of these tasks daily, how can they still have enough time to nurture client relationships?
The answer is to automate real estate functions so that agents can focus more on important, meaningful tasks. Thankfully, the rapid evolution of software technology, such as tech tools, has made specific processes easier and more convenient for real estate agents.
We live in an exciting time where almost everything is digitized and automated. With massive IT transformations shaping the future of business, it’s hard to imagine a career or business that doesn’t involve technology. You miss many opportunities if you’re a real estate agent who doesn’t make the most of these tools.
In this article, we compiled a list of the tech tools we believe can help the real estate agent become more efficient and productive in 2021.
Customer relationship management tools
Finding and nurturing leads is always a challenge. By using customer relationship management (CRM) tools, managing current and potential leads can be done on a single platform. CRMs are designed to handle end-to-end process management for business transactions.
By using CRM platforms, realtors can manage their incoming leads and monitor client interactions. Their features allow you to digitally keep track of and take notes of client conversations. CRMs also enable you to create sales pipelines for properties, investors, and buyers. These tools are also helpful in managing incoming requests, preparing price quotes, and selling a property.
CRMs are also built for lead generation. Typical CRM software can help you collect a customer’s contact information, such as email, telephone, and social media data across multiple platforms, as well as store personal details like personal communication preferences. These tools help organize client information so you don’t have to create multiple spreadsheets and documents for your contact list.
Among the top CRMs for real estate are HubSpot, Apptivo, Wise Agent, and Agile CRM.
Live streaming apps
With strict social distancing and community restrictions still in place in several areas, going digital allows you to connect to your prospects in the absence of physical activities. It is no wonder that the future of property house viewing is live streaming.
Live streaming is a creative strategy to promote your property listings through virtual property viewings. Traditional house viewings can eat up too much of your buyer’s time. By going digital, you’re saving a lot of resources.
Live-streaming your house viewings can bring many benefits to your business. For one, you and your potential clients no longer have to commute or dress up (or even adjust personal schedules) just to view a prospective property. You also don’t have to schedule individual meetings to conduct a tour of the same property. Your virtual open houses can be posted on your social media accounts, where hundreds of buyers can attend simultaneously. Even international clients can view the property without having to be physically present.
This is how live streaming platforms, such as ViuLive, can help you leverage your business. ViuLive is a live streaming app that lets you broadcast your house tours from multiple cameras, locations, and angles. This platform also allows you to engage with your audience in real-time. You can directly answer any questions about the property during the live viewing session. Moreover, you can save your live stream and share it on your social media accounts for those who were not able to attend your live stream.
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are among the social media sites with live-streaming features you can use.
Social media management apps
Undoubtedly, social media has proven its power to boost your real estate business, especially during a pandemic. They are particularly useful in finding new leads, engaging with your existing clients, and driving traffic to your website (if you have any).
But social media algorithms are designed to make users post content every single day. With a lot of tasks to accomplish, updating your social media accounts multiple times in a day can be time-consuming. To keep your followers updated without spending too much time, you may need a social media management app.
Social media management tools help you automate your social media posts. Moreover, these tools can help you analyze your social media statistics so you can focus on creating content that truly matters to your audience. By using social media management tools, you can automatically post updates across all your social accounts, schedule future posts, and understand the most appropriate content and effective time to post them.
Some of the most popular social media management tools are Buffer Publish and Hootsuite.
Document management software
One of the most time-consuming tasks for real estate agents is managing documents. Agents have to prepare and read endless piles of paperwork, such as contracts, agreements, disclosures, legal forms, and even property brochures. These documents can crowd your office table and eat up a lot of precious time that could have been spent nurturing client relationships or generating more leads. Moreover, you not only need to prepare them but also keep them for several years. This is why having a document management system that will organize and store your important documents can save you time and effort.
A document management system is automated software that lets you organize, secure, digitize, tag, approve, and complete paperwork for your real estate business. These platforms securely store your data in the cloud, so you can easily access your files wherever and whenever. Document management systems help you keep all your offers, loan agreements, appraisals, sales reports, and titles well organized in a single location so you can easily retrieve and track the flow of such documents. These tools also enable you to share digital documents with your clients faster.
Document management systems not only save you time. They also save you ample space in your office. Some of the great document management software are Zipform and Dotloop.
For more efficient document management, you can also sign up for electronic signature and agreement clouds, such as DocuSign, to process client signature requests more quickly.
Scheduling apps
A typical week of a real estate agent is always busy. Attending client and company meetings, managing ads, screening inbound leads, responding to client questions, and showing properties can be chaotic. This is why some realtors pull 60- to 80-hour workweeks.
To prevent burnout, you need to manage your time wisely. Using scheduling apps can help you organize your schedule, manage your time, and prioritize urgent and important tasks for better productivity. Scheduling tools allow buyers and sellers to schedule, confirm, and communicate showings, meetings, and other services. These tools also notify you of upcoming events so you can attend all important appointments. Most of these tools also have in-app messaging features to coordinate in real time with your buyers and sellers.
Popular scheduling apps include Google Calendar (and the entire Google Workspace platform), Calendly, and Apptoto.
Property listing and management apps
Managing properties is more complex than others outside the industry might think. The amount of paperwork and bureaucratic processes involved in listing and selling a property can be exhausting. Not to mention the different rental and ownership agreements that real estate professionals deal with daily.
Real estate technology has fortunately made the lives of both agents and property seekers easier. Property listing and management apps such as Ziba Property have simplified the processes and tasks in real estate businesses. These apps are designed to save agents time and effort in generating leads, promoting properties, and closing deals.
Ziba Property is both a property listing and property management app that connects you with your target buyers. It is a 100% free subscription, with no hidden fees, that allows you to list unlimited properties.
The app’s easy-to-use features make property listing convenient. You can market your listings at no cost by posting your properties on the app or website. Additionally, the app’s search function makes it easy for your buyers to look up properties for sale or rent.
Ziba Property also connects agents, landlords, sellers, and buyers on one platform. You can find landlords and owners who want to sell or lease their properties. The app will notify you once owners list their units on Ziba Property. The in-app messaging feature enables agents to contact owners directly. This makes it easier for agents to draft and send proposals to landlords to help them sell or lease their properties.
You can download Ziba Property on Google Play Store and Apple App Store for free.
To Recap
Being a real estate agent takes work. Despite the perks of high commissions, unlimited earning potential, and flexible schedules, a realtor’s job takes time, effort, sweat, and tears just to beat the quota.
Thankfully, the availability of tech tools has made it possible for the real estate agent to conveniently manage multiple tasks simultaneously and be more productive. With these apps, you can work less than 80 hours per week just to sell a house. You can quickly generate leads, contact prospects, manage daily promotions, list your properties, and close deals effectively.
Here are the top tech tools we recommend to every real estate agent to maximize productivity:
- Customer relationship management tools
- Live streaming apps
- Social media management apps
- Document management software
- Scheduling apps
- Property listing and management apps
Are you looking for leads or planning to list your properties? Download Ziba Property and connect with landlords, tenants, sellers, and buyers in your community!
FAQs
How can I protect my home before monsoon season in Malaysia?
Trimming trees and plants, clearing gutters and drains, and checking your roof for damage are simple steps that reduce the risk of storm-related damage before heavy rains arrive.
What household damage is most common during Malaysia’s rainy season?
Common issues include roof leaks, clogged gutters from fallen leaves and branches, flooding in low-lying areas, and water damage to walls or ceilings.
Do I need to clean my gutters regularly during monsoon season?
Yes. Clogged gutters and downspouts can cause water to back up and damage your roof or walls, so regular cleaning is important, especially before and during periods of heavy rain.
Should I trim trees near my house before a storm?
Yes. Overgrown branches are more likely to break off in strong winds and cause structural damage, so regular trimming significantly reduces this risk.
Does home insurance cover storm and flood damage in Malaysia?
Basic fire insurance typically does not automatically include flood coverage. Homeowners usually need to add a flood extension to their policy for protection against monsoon-related flooding.
Ready to safeguard your home this monsoon season?
Preparing your home is only half the equation — the right insurance coverage completes the picture. Browse home insurance-ready properties and connect with Suitable listings on Ziba Property to find a home built to handle Malaysia’s weather, wherever you are. Explore homes on Ziba Property.
About the Author
Muhammad Amir is a real estate writer at Ziba Property, covering the Malaysian property market. His work focuses on helping homeowners protect their investment through practical maintenance advice, insurance guidance, and seasonal preparation tips suited to Malaysia’s climate.
