Over 400 real estate agents and professionals participated in RISMedia’s latest webinar, “How Technology Is Changing the Home-Buying Process.” Julie Lashay Israel, head of inclusion and belonging for Keller Williams Realty International led the webinar of panelists including Victor Ciardelli, founder, president and CEO of Guaranteed Rate, David Voorhees, executive director of Labs at Keller Williams, and Mike Dye, producing branch manager and production manager, supporting all sales and operations for Guaranteed Rate.
The webinar featured discussions about the role that technology plays in today’s real estate landscape, and how it can be the key to uncovering new business opportunities and staying ahead of the curve in an evolving market. Panelists shared their insights and strategies for leveraging technology to engage with clients, generate leads and close deals. Ciardelli also spoke on the online mortgage process, including same-day mortgage from Guaranteed Rate.
Key takeaways:
- When it comes to the home-buying process, there are many steps that take time. Technology has transformed this process not only for the homebuyers, but the agents, as well, and by investing in the right tech for your business and your clients, this process can and will become more streamlined and efficient, offering certainty to all parties involved.
- Unlike in the past, when buyers would need stacks of paperwork (paystubs, tax returns, bank statements, etc.) and agents would work on handwritten mortgage applications and disclosures, customers are now able to provide electronic documents of their information, and agents are able to provide more accurate and immediate results using Guaranteed Rate’s Same Day Mortgage Program.
- The speed and efficiency that technology has created in the real estate space is now allowing non-cash buyers to be a part of the conversation and truly compete with cash buyers.
- Different forms of technology in this space, from CRMs and social media platforms to automation, agents and loan officers with access to the right tech now have the ability to build, maintain and enhance relationships with their clients and prospects.
Here’s what our esteemed panelists had to say:
“Technology has really been a game changer. What we’re working on is trying to get humans out of the experience and being as intuitive as possible by providing as much front-end technology at the point of sale, so the person can go in and get a digital mortgage the same day.” –Victor Ciardelli, founder, president and CEO of Guaranteed Rate
“When it comes to agents and technology, I don’t think one can work without the other. The customer wants to check all the boxes: efficiency, certainty and working with someone they can trust can guide them through the process.” –Victor Ciardelli, founder, president and CEO of Guaranteed Rate
“If there’s one thing that came out of the past two years, it is that speed is everything. As an agent, your time is valuable, and the less you can spend to get your clients the results they want, the better off everyone is going to be.” –David Voorhees, executive director of Labs at Keller Williams
“Technology has closed the gap between the cash offer and the non-cash offer. For buyers, knowing they can go in and make the offer they want to make without having cash on hand, and for listing agents and their sellers, not accepting the cash offer provides the same level of confidence that the deal will get to the closing table like a cash offer.” –David Voorhees, executive director of Labs at Keller Williams
“There are so many people that want a quality product, and the seller, the agents and the borrower need certainty faster than ever, and they want the process to be easy.” –Mike Dye, producing branch manager and production manager, supporting all sales and operations for Guaranteed Rate
“Relationships are so important. I want to wildly exceed a client’s expectations in a transaction, but I never want them to forget who I am, so they have no excuse not to come back to me the next time they potentially are looking for a new home, a second home or refinance.” –Mike Dye, producing branch manager and production manager, supporting all sales and operations for Guaranteed Rate
For more information on the evolving role of technology in today’s real estate landscape and how it is changing the home-buying process, check out the full webinar here!
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