Working in real estate can be extremely lucrative, but it also comes with certain risks. For example, you don’t necessarily know where your next paycheck is coming from. You have to make sure you’re always attracting interested clients, so that you can continue to close deals and line your pockets. Because of this, many REALTORS® are constantly on the lookout for ways to arouse the interests of new clients. If you want to remain competitive, you’ll want to find as many tools as you can to help you accomplish this.
One of the most exciting developments in this field has to do with smart home technology. New technologies offer a number of opportunities for attracting potential buyers. In fact, 46% of homebuyers say that smart home technology plays an important role in their decision. However, when dealing with more expensive properties, the numbers are even better. Nearly all luxury home buyers say that they would happily exchange living space of up to 1000 square feet for a home with additional technology. The implications of such information should be crystal clear to REALTORS®: smart home technology is the future—not just for buyers, but also for your careers.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of six ways that REALTORS® can use technology to acquire new clients. Take a look, and let us know which of the following methods work best for you:
1- Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats offer tangible energy savings to customers, which makes them an attractive feature of any home. In fact, 91% of all prospective buyers say that they want energy efficient homes, and smart thermostats have been proven to play an important role in achieving such classifications.
Nest is one of the earliest names in smart thermostats, but it’s still considered to be among the best. It lets the homeowner input their preferences, then refines the climate control in their home accordingly—even when they’re not present. Since it offers smartphone control, the owner can also ask it to warm up your home while they’re on their way back from an event, so that you can come back to a cozy home. The best names in smart thermostat technology can provide comfort and convenience as well as considerable energy savings.
2- Surveillance Systems
Energy efficiency is certainly a priority for new homebuyers, but security isn’t far behind. For that reason, quality surveillance systems are features you can easily use to make a home more valuable to clients. In fact, according to Trulia, security is the number 2 concern for homebuyers, right behind pricing.
In addition to their smart thermostats, Nest also offers some excellent options for smart cameras, but there are plenty of other workable options depending on your budget. The best options from this list can live-stream their feed to the owner’s mobile device, and feature other gimmicks like a full 180-degree field of view or magnetic bases.
3- Smart Lighting
Everybody likes to live in a well-lit space, so lighting is another important consideration for REALTORS®. However, lighting isn’t always foremost in the mind of a person who is considering buying a new home. That said, you can tie lighting into other obvious priorities for new homebuyers, like energy efficiency. Doing so will allow you to make them more interested in a property with just a few simple upgrades.
Smart light bulbs have a higher price than regular incandescent bulbs—but that’s really not saying much when you think about it. All things considered, smart lighting is still very cost-effective, especially when compared to some of the other options on this list. Furthermore, smart lighting uses only about a tenth of the energy required by standard incandescent bulbs, a figure that is sure to impress energy-conscious buyers.
4- Entertainment Options
Entertainment technology isn’t necessarily going to save your clients money on utility bills or keep them safe, but it doesn’t have to. Instead, it derives its value from a far simpler and more visceral source: it’s fun. Everybody loves TV, and they love it even more when they can control it from an automation integration system. Imagine using a single touch to activate your entire home entertainment center. That’s an excellent way to make your prospective buyers’ mouths water and they can easily enjoy the live tv and streaming movies in platform like Netflix or hbo.
5- Smart Devices in the Kitchen
People love to be entertained, but they have even deeper and more universal needs—like eating. The kitchen is another place where you can achieve extraordinary results with appealing technology. While a smart refrigerator might be a little on the expensive side, other devices like the Amazon Dash can make ordering new kitchen supplies or groceries as simple as pressing a button. There are even smart garbage cans that scan barcodes when you throw something out to remind you that you need it next time you go shopping.
6- Specialty Apps
If you choose to commit to the energy efficiency route (which is a great strategy), one of the best ways to do it is with an app like HomeSelfe, which allows you to quickly run an energy efficiency audit of any property. When clients have questions about energy efficiency, you can be ready with answers, making you look like the expert and increasing the client’s trust in you. If that isn’t enough, Homeselfe even offers a service where they will send out blog content to clients on behalf of REALTORS® to remind clients of the advantages such technology offers. These blogs offer information that clients want to know, encouraging them to engage with your brand, so they will think of you when they need a REALTOR®.
There’s no denying the importance of smart home technology when it comes to wooing buyers, especially for higher end properties. Use the ideas included in this list to seduce the clients you want, whether it’s through smart light bulbs and thermostats or kitchen devices and energy-saving apps. Be sure to experiment with different options and discover which ones prove the most effective. Hopefully you’ll be able to keep closing deals while providing your clients with exciting new gadgets.
