It's Time to Do Something Non-Tech for Your Business

It has been said that the wealthiest people on this planet are as wealthy as they are because they do things differently than everyone else. I am an advocate for modeling myself after successful people because I believe in the power that patterns can bring, meaning that for every action you take there is a direct and appropriate reaction.

I am also an advocate of technology. I think it is amazing how far we have come and what our devices and software are able to handle. It’s amazing to think about all the things technology can do that used to require unnecessary human labor. However, technology is best utilized when it takes the place of an unnecessary task, freeing you up to create and sustain more relationships – which is what our industry has always been about.

I fully embrace social media outlets, like Facebook and Twitter, and truly enjoy my interactions on these sites. To me, they are another form or level of relationship that is unique to those platforms.

Having said all of this, I have come to the conclusion that as our industry becomes more and more technological, it is time for you to start implementing some non-tech actions into your day.

There is a danger in the “follow the herd” mentality. That danger is that you will only get where the rest of the herd goes. There was a time when using technology in your business was considered progressive. That time has gone. It is now considered normal.

But with this technological revolution of our industry also comes an opportunity. As more and more agents are relying solely on email, text messages, blogging, drip campaigns, zip code purchases and much more, those that remember how to gain a client by face-to-face contact are going to have an edge.

Now more than ever there is an opportunity to do something like canvassing the neighborhood that you are marketing a listing in. Yes, it is true that people hate unwanted solicitors knocking on their front door for the same reason that we hate spam email. But don’t neighbors love to know about a new house listed in their neighborhood and get every detail they can possibly get their hands on? The answer is simple – yes they do.

Statistics tell us that every time a new listing hits the market, within six months, two to three more houses are listed in the same area. Of those two to three listings, 69 percent of those sellers do not consider themselves to have personal representation before they made the decision to sell.

Listing postcards, farming your neighborhood, phone calls and every other form of communication is great, but some things never change – there is nothing like meeting people face to face.

So my advice is simple: Keep implementing technology in your business. In fact, without it, you will find it tough to survive going forward. But also recognize that as everyone else embraces technology there is an opportunity for you to stand out by doing something non-tech related. Give it a try.

Jared James is the CEO and Founder of Jared James Enterprises, an internationally sought-after speaker and trainer. James built one of the fastest-growing real estate teams in the country, was inducted into the International Hall of Fame for one of the world’s largest real estate companies and wrote a best-selling book—all before the age of 28. As an acclaimed speaker, James keynotes events for major real estate organizations and conducts regular webinars and training for nationally known organizations like NAR, CRS, Yahoo Real Estate, Trulia and Zillow Academy and blogs regularly for RISMedia.