Virtual Realty
My husband can’t believe we’ve never actually had a conversation on the phone.
Recently I worked with a military family who were being relocated back to San Antonio from overseas. A mutual friend connected us, so they initially reached out to me via email, and the emails went back and forth for the next several exchanges. After realizing that these clients were planning to negotiate, get a home under contract, andfacilitate the entire transaction from abroad (before they actually arrived back in San Antonio), one of the first and most important questions was: how would we communicate through such a complex process?
With so many different apps and technology tools, we just needed to determine which would work best for our purposes.
Besides those first several emails, we’ve communicated through Facebook Messenger, texting, Marco Polo, and video. To date, we’ve never actually had a phone call or a face-to-face meeting.
My husband asked me as I was texting with this client, “Have you seriously never talked to them?” I realized for the first time that I hadn’t spoken “directly” to this client over the phone. At the same time, it didn’t really register with me why he was so amazed. I said, “We’re communicating almost non-stop!”
When this client found a home that met their criteria, they simply shot me a text message. (Shout-out to iMessage for showing up on both my iPhone and my computer–seeing messages instantly and replying in real time is crucial for the real estate industry. Home status can change within hours, sometimes minutes!)
After receiving their message, I would arrange a showing for the house and start a video as soon as I got out of the car. I’d walk through the house just as I would if they were with me, talking about the home’s features or other aspects of the home they may not be catching (the HVAC, the roof, etc). Then as soon as I’m done walking the home and filming, I send the video instantaneously. No editing, all flaws included. I don’t even watch the video back until later that evening when I’m reminding myself of the details.
Facebook Messenger is another tool we’ve used to communicate. Messenger’s advantage is the ability to not have to keep up with a phone number, and for clients who travel the most (and may be switching cell carriers and SIM chips as they hop between countries), Facebook may be the most consistent way to reach them by only using their name.
What’s App is popular among international travelers. It’s free, widely used, easy, and it’s a great way to text and call with very good reception. I have a good friend from India who mentioned how often she uses this app and it sparked my interest. I downloaded it and noticed very quickly that I have many contacts using this already. They also offer encrypted messaging which ensures privacy and information protection.
Marco Polo is a fantastic tool for leaving video messages for clients while not having to worry about coordinating schedules. Especially when working with an international client in an opposite time zone, video messaging fills the gap that texting leaves in terms of personal engagement. Being able to actually see and hear someone in a video can give a client even more perspective on the type of agent they are working with.
Once we find the house, signing paperwork is the next step. The tools I use for this are the same for my local and long-distance clients. All you need is an email address and a computer. Dotloop and Docusign are the two most widely used platforms in Real Estate for signing contracts and paperwork. Both of these use secure authentication and timestamps for signing. Both are pretty intuitive for my clients and both allow me to send and update necessary documents seamlessly.
In general, I love chatting with people any way I can. I also love the feeling of being able to get a response so quickly. I think buyers and sellers are the same. They appreciate the quick response. They appreciate the ability to reach you so easily. When you’re consulting someone on a transaction, there are so many questions that can arise throughout the entirety of the process. Responding to my clients’ questions via message or video is just another way of offering them my availability. I like it, too, because I can easily answer a message while I’m at my kiddo’s swim team practice or while I’m attending an inspection.
I never would have imagined the possibilities technology would create for me. There is no way I’d be able to be the mom I want to be and simultaneously grow a career for myself without it.
Buying a home today remotely is more accessible than ever. Technology has created a natural way for us to communicate in non-traditional ways. Because of that, something as big as buying a home can now be done with a few clicks. Hiring a Realtor who’s accessible, willing to use different tools, and remaining open to new experiences is key!
This post was originally published in September, 2019.