By Paige Tepping
RISMEDIA, May 15, 2008-“In order to grow your business, you have to have systems in place that will allow your business to grow,” says Creig Northrop, president of Maryland-based The Northrop Team, Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Being equipped with the proper tools is the key to success, and Centralized Showing Service (CSS) is one technology that has allowed Northrop and his team to focus their energy on what they should be doing-selling homes.
After a lot of preliminary research, conversations with individuals in the industry that were using CSS and at least 10 visits with the company, Northrop decided that the best way his team would be able to remain successful in the real estate industry would be to equip themselves with the proper tools. CSS has given them everything they need to build a profitable business.
The program was created to address the inefficiencies surrounding home showings within the real estate industry and to provide agents with a central location where they can keep track of all of their showing appointments. “CSS did a good job of isolating one piece of what the real estate agent does, and they made it easy to do this job in the best way possible,” says Northrop. “The program services a lot of listings and makes it easy to keep everything organized in one, convenient location.
“The system allows real estate professionals to better manage their time, therefore, allowing them to complete more important tasks that will lead to their success,” adds Northrop. Agents can schedule 10-12 showings in less than five minutes through either the call center or the website.
“We have the entire thing down to a system,” says Northrop, who, with his team, has created a system around the one that CSS has established. “We get everything set at the beginning of the week and then CSS produces reports for us that are beneficial to both us as a team and the clients we are working with.”
For Northrop and his team, the program’s flexibility-as well as the automatic feedback features-has been most beneficial. “The 24-hour feedback service that CSS provides is one feature that has worked to our advantage,” he says.
“Feedback is crucial in this industry and CSS has made it simple for agents to get feedback to their clients, which is exactly what clients are looking for.”
In addition to providing constant feedback, the program also enables agents to keep their clients updated throughout the entire process.
What’s more, the call center’s extended open hours-open longer than the standard real estate office-are just another added benefit that comes with the program.
For more information, visit www.showings.com.
