As Bob Dylan would say, “The times, they are a-changin’.” Being able to change with the times is more important now than ever before. With new technology coming out every week and an ever-changing market, you need to be able to adapt in order to keep up with the industry. Here’s a checklist to see if you are able to change with the times.
1. Take A Look At Your Website
The first thing you need to take a look at is what your clients see. Your website is likely the first thing your clients will see and it is the first impression they will get of you. When you are looking at everything on your website, the three letters to keep in mind to make sure you give a great first impression are PIN.
Presentation (does everything look professional, uncluttered, and not dated?)
Information (is your contact information and the information about the properties up to date?)
Navigation (Is the website easy to use?)
By using PIN, you can be sure that your website is a reflection of your hard work and ability to change with the times.
2. Keep An Open Mind To New Ideas
Being able to keep an open mind about new ideas is a great way to stay ahead of the curve. When self-driving cars first came out, very few people took them seriously. Now, self-driving cars are advanced enough to take to the streets. Bitcoin was another confusing thing that many of us (yours truly included) brushed off as a fad. While many of us are still confused by the concept, Bitcoin has skyrocketed in popularity. There are Bitcoin cafes and, in some parts of the country, you can even buy a house with Bitcoin. People who took an interest in these ideas while everyone else was laughing at them are now themselves laughing all the way to the bank.
Always be willing to try, or at least learn, about new things in the land industry. Keeping an open mind to ideas that sound bizarre can help you stay ahead of the curve.
3. Ask Your Clients for Feedback To See If It Can Change With The Times
Your clients and network are a great way to gauge what needs to be fixed. You can send out a poll that asks clients what they like about your work and what could use improvement. You can also ask if they would work with you again and why. This feedback can help you target what needs the most time and attention from you.
One question you should always ask is how the client found out about you. When you find out how most of your clients hear about you, you can spend more time and money in that venue. This prevents you from flushing money away on ad venues that no one was seeing and can streamline your marketing strategies.
4. Check Your Social Media
DO YOU WRITE IN ALL CAPS? R their a lot of speeeeling errors? Little problems like this might not seem like they matter, but as more and more people join social media, the way you present yourself on social media will reflect how potential clients see you. Here are some tips for updating your social media if you want to be able to change with the times.
5. Stay Up to Date With What’s Going On In the Media
Land itself doesn’t change much, but the way we use, buy, and sell land is always changing. Keeping up to date with what’s happening in the industry is essential if you want to be on top of the land industry.
One great way to keep up with industry news is by following land real estate blogs and social media accounts (if you are interested in starting your own successful land blog, we have an article coming out next week about that. Stay tuned!). There are a ton of great land blogs out there. If you are looking for a place to start, Kent Morris, ALC wrote an article about some of his favorite blogs.
6. Always Be Willing to Learn
After years in the industry, it can be easy to feel like you already know there is to know about land. Land itself doesn’t go through dramatic changes. What does change is land laws, politics, and how we sell and buy land. Taking courses through RLI can help you answer any question a potential client might have.
Being able to change with the times isn’t easy. However, the most successful people are the ones who are constantly adapting and bettering themselves to keep up with the ever-changing land industry. If you are able to change with the times, that means you are ready for whatever the future holds for the land market.
About the author: Laura Barker is Marketing Assistant Intern for the REALTORS® Land Institute. She graduated from Clark University in May 2017 and has been with RLI since October 2017.