Do you have what it takes to be a modern real estate agent?

Real estate agents across the country are buckling down and building out their pipelines, already competing ferociously for listings. Those with a modern approach are making waves, regardless of their years of experience, because they’ve zeroed in on impactful tactics and use the tool in their back pocket to earn trust and provide a full-service, streamlined experience for their clients.

Now, a modern approach doesn’t mean throwing all tradition out the window and ignoring what has worked for decades. Rather, modern agents are doing what any good entrepreneur would: performing market research to narrow in on their “why,” improving their service offerings based on market demands, and eliminating inefficiencies, specifically by leaning on tech solutions.

Develop a deep understanding of market conditions and trends

Of course, you know the current state of your local market and the trends to watch. But just knowing the state of things isn’t enough. Take the information a step further to understand how these conditions and trends will affect you and your clients.

Are a lot of the homes in your market older and dated?

Are homes that have undergone a listing refresh or been staged selling faster?

In many local markets, for example, it’s obvious that homes with better digital curb appeal are getting a lot more traction amongst buyers and selling quicker than those left as-is.

Each market is different. Some are flooded with iBuyers. Many face the challenge of a severe inventory shortage. As local markets and the industry as a whole continue to change at breakneck speeds, many buyers and sellers are left with more questions than ever.

This is why, at least once a quarter, you’ll see most modern agents do their own market analysis and determine how the trends will affect their clients, what kind of questions their clients will have as a result of changes in the market, and how they are uniquely able to assist clients at the current time and place. Anne Rossley, Broker Associate at Baird & Warner in Chicago, does this well.

Ensure a full-service approach and marketing materials to match

Based on your findings, determine what the best, full-service model is for your market, then find a way to provide that model to your clients.

Does the market have a lot of dated homes or millennial buyers? If so, offer a real estate concierge program to help meet buyers’ demands for turnkey homes.

Is inventory low? Consider a program that will help your sellers secure another home before they put theirs on the market.

The best news for the modern real estate agent is that, while things are changing and it can feel challenging to keep up, there has been a wealth of resources poured into the real estate industry to help agents adjust to increasing demands and challenging markets.

Once you’ve established the ideal full-service model for your clients, don’t forget to update all your resources to reflect your offerings. Everything from your postcards and social posts to your listing presentation and seller leave-behinds should make it clear that you understand the market and your clients’ needs, and you have the resources to help them meet their home selling and buying goals.

Not sure where to start? Check out these free marketing resources for agents or consider recording a video and sharing it with your sphere via email or social media like Ryan Matter, agent with Corcoran Global living, did after his brokerage chose to partner with Curbio to provide a concierge program.

Automate, delegate, and eliminate

If adding more services to better help your clients feels daunting, then memorize this: Automate, delegate, or eliminate.

Look for any tasks that you can automate, delegate, or eliminate to make your entire operation more efficient. This should be the goal for every modern agent who wants to keep up without burning out. In a recent interview with Tim and Drew Nelson, Willis Allen brokers based in La Jolla, CA, Drew shared, “A goal for next year is to take the tools that we have at Willis Allen Real Estate and further exploit them not only to our success but also to help our clients be more successful.”

The good news is that there are plenty of companies out there dedicated to helping agents increase efficiencies, and of course Curbio. At Curbio, they help agents move real estate by providing a one-stop-shop for pre-listing repairs, refreshes, and remodels. Oh, and we wait until closing to be paid for the work with no interest charges or fees, regardless of scope.

Learn more about how it works, and start offering your concierge program today.