Inman learnings – what new trends so I need to know about?

Yes, it’s been 12 months since we last attended Inman in the US to keep an eye on new entrants, developing trends and any innovations we believe might position our members in their local markets.

The is the tenth year Ray White corporate have sent a delegation and again we have found some strong themes that we’d love you to adopt and embed into your business.

People will take experiences over price or product

It’s becoming clear that vendors want ‘speed and certainty’ in their transactions and value agents who provide high levels of service, are knowledgable about their local markets and professional in their behaviours.

The offline relationship is back in vogue

Many savvy agents are leveraging social media (which is not new) but using it to understand when to engage physically with consumers entering the property cycle. It might be a birthday or an anniversary but liking the page is so yesterday – it’s now about reaching out at the right digital moment and engaging in a real and physical way.

Push agents towards serving customers and automate the rest

Technology enabling agents continues as a theme, with many new apps and platforms automating back end processes. This achieves three things – delivers consistent service, reduces internal costs and gives agents back time they can use to engage more relationships.

Trust can be built digitally

85% of American’s trust their Uber driver more than their co-worker due to digital profiles being a trusted persona. This translates to our own digital profiles becoming critical as consumers begin their property journey online and clearly believe your digital profile given the above survey results.

Keep your eyes on the evolving landscape

Last but not least 70% of property owners looking to sell in the US begin with a “zestimate” or quote from an I-Buyer. Many go on to use an agent but agents are needing to adjust their language and talk to the valuation from these online companies. The agent who is ready for change and keeps both eyes on the customers needs with stay relevant and thrive in this evolving landscape.