It’s about Time, not Tech for Tech’s Sake

Alister 2 Cropped

An article by Alister Maple-Brown, CEO, Rockend Technology

Life is busy – and getting busier every day. It’s a constant battle to get everything done. But it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, we all have the same 24 hours in our day.

How good would it be be if you had more time?

Technology can help. While it can’t magically create more hours in a day, it can help you do more in the same amount of time and provide a more focused and valuable experience for your clients.

But there’s no point simply using technology for technology’s sake. It has to be the right technology. It’s all too easy to get caught up with the next shiny new thing. But does that shiny new thing save you time? More importantly, does it save you time repeatedly? And not just your time, but also everyone else’s time – your team, clients and stakeholders?

The value of implementing the right technology lies in its ability to save everyone time, over and over and over again.

Here are three ways technology can help you save time.

1. Automating personalised communications

No one wants to feel like they’re just another faceless person in a crowd – and that includes your clients. We all want to feel special and we all want to be communicated with in a way that’s personal.

Gone are the days when a letter or email addressed to “Dear Sir” or “Dear Madam” will cut it. These days we expect to see our name (spelt correctly!) and we expect the message to be personalised. We expect the businesses we deal with to understand our needs and provide desirable information, products, services and solutions. And we don’t pay attention if there’s no effort to communicate with us in a meaningful and pleasing way.

While providing the personal touch may seem time consuming, it doesn’t have to be. Technology can save you time by making your communications more efficient and personal.

Thanks to the sheer amount of data that’s generated every day by digital processes and social media exchanges, you can develop insights into individual client interests and needs – and, using this data, you can generate a personalised communication experience in a bulk, automated way.

Take PropertyTree. You can easily tailor and personalise the statement you provide to landlords, so every client is receiving the information they want, in the way they want it. And you can create clear lines of communication by automating tasks such as late payment reminders and more.

2. Controlling the online experience

Let’s face it, we all like to be in control. And we’ve been conditioned by the online tools we use to expect this control in our everyday lives. Consider social media. When we set up our social media profiles, we select our preferences – what type of posts do I want to see, what kind of alerts do I want to receive and who do I want to be connected with. It’s all about ‘me’.

It should be no different when it comes to business. You don’t need to control every bit of information that flows to your clients. They shouldn’t need to call or email you every time they want the answer to a simple question.

Implementing the right technology can ensure your clients have access to the information they’re after whenever they need it. From online knowledge bases and training videos to self-serve preferences and user portals, the options are endless. And every time a client engages with one of these tools, it saves you time because they’re not dialling your number or filling your inbox.

PropertyTree’s Landlord & Tenant portal is the perfect example. Landlords and tenants always have lots of little questions. Whether it’s a question from a landlord about the status of a repair or a tenant asking when their rent is next due, it all takes time. With PropertyTree, all they need to do is log into the portal and find the information they need. It allows landlords and tenants to take control of their online experience and, in the process, saves you time.

3. Maximising every minute

These days, we live 24/7 lives. Whether it’s business or personal, we’re always ‘on’.

Out of the office, out on the road and out of business hours, we all need the right technology solutions at our fingertips to get the job done. You want on-the-spot access to the information and data you need, no matter where you are. You can’t afford to be chained to a desk. That’s why it’s essential for your business to implement cloud-based technology tools.

PropertyTree is a cloud-based property management solution that helps property managers make the most of every minute of their day. You can access everything you need whenever and wherever you are. Think about it. If you’re out and about and a client asks a question, you don’t need to wait until you’re back in the office to provide the answer. All you need to do is pick up your mobile device and everything is at your fingertips. No down time. No time wasted.

Time to build relationships

Think of technology as your helpful sidekick. It’s an important tool you can use, but on its own it isn’t the answer to everything.

Why? Because real estate is a people business.

Real estate has been and always will be about relationships. People want to deal with people, and property managers are dealing with what is often one of their clients’ biggest investments. While technology can help facilitate a transaction it will never be able to completely replace people.

The value of technology lies in it’s ability to save you time. Good agents need to be able to give good advice and positively influence interactions with clients. So by letting technology do what technology does best – which is a lot of the more routine and mundane tasks – you can get back to building stronger relationships with your clients.

Developed by Rockend, PropertyTree is Australia and New Zealand’s first cloud-based property management solution. You can experience PropertyTree firsthand with a free demonstration by calling 1300 778 733.