Despite the large amounts of time I spend surrounded by bits, bytes and other tech related objects, I am first and foremost a business person.
And while clients, vendors and revenues are important to running a business, PROFIT is king. After all, it hardly matters what you make. What really matters is what you keep.
To that end, I firmly believe that if technology is not making you money, then something needs to change.
It is time that real estate professionals stop shortchanging themselves by viewing technology as nothing more than a support staff for their business. Yes, computers are good at automating menial tasks, but they are even more effective at marketing, selling and generating profits for your real estate business.
In order to transform real estate technology from a cost center into a profit center, it needs to be promoted from the "administrative staff to the board room." Real estate technology needs to become a strategic partner in your business, working WITH you to achieve your CORE GOALS. If it can't do its job, then it needs to leave.
So how in the world do you do that?
The first step is to be absolutely clear about what your goals are. Goal setting can look very different from business to business, but the important thing is that your goals are SPECIFIC and MEASURABLE. What EXACTLY do you want to achieve? By when?
And how will you know if you are on the right track?
Goal setting can take a lot of time, but the payoff to having your target clearly defined will be huge!
Once your goals are set, you are ready to begin brainstorming about how to use technology, not to SUPPORT you in reaching those goals, but to PROPEL you to reach them faster, easier and with more certainty.
Of course the help of an expert won't hurt in making technology decisions for your real estate business, but the important thing is to make sure that EVERY decision you make has a clear connection to moving you closer to your goals. As a business owner, however, YOU have to lay the important groundwork by etching your goals clearly in your mind.
When technology is completely aligned with helping you reach your business goals, your real estate business will run more smoothly and create larger profits with less effort than ever before.
So is there room for improvement in your current real estate technology situation?
Here are some questions to consider:
1. If your current computer systems were an employee, would you fire him?
2. Which does your current technology setup create more of, clients or problems?
3. Is technology pushing you towards your goals or creating obstacles between you and your goals?
And the most important question of all...
4. At the end of the day, is all of your real estate technology costing you money or is it making you money?
NOW is the time to consider stepping onto a new path: the path where technology begins to put money in your pocket rather than take it out of your pocket. This new path is more fun and a whole lot more profitable.
Jason Leister, the Real Estate Technology Guru (tm), is owner of Computer Super Guy, LLC, a Chicago-based technology firm that helps real estate professionals profit with technology. Visit the Real Estate Technology Guru to subscribe to our free monthly eZine, ProfIT, and receive a FREE copy of our special report "The Truth About Real Estate Websites and Search Engine Optimization." |
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