Table of Contents:
- Take advantage of technology.
- Communicate, Communicate, and Communicate.
- Reiterate core values and goals.
- Don’t forget the little details.
- Use this moment to prepare for the future.
During this situation of the coronavirus, real estate companies are quickly learning about telework options. We show you the five secrets to managing a team of Real Estate Agents with telework telelectronically:
Take advantage of technology
In the last decade, real estate companies have been fighting “a technological battle” to build powerful proprietary tools. Or assemble the perfect chain of tools to make those transitions faster and less messy for their agents and consumers alike. Now is the time for leaders to take advantage of the proprietary technologies already available to them.
It is necessary to reinforce how to use the communication platforms within the office and all the necessary tools to carry out contract signatures digitally, for example, Firmafy or Docusign.
Although some brokers have established digital platforms to sign contracts. Not all have established means of communication in place other than phone calls or email. Especially if they have agents or staff members who primarily work in the office, real estate agents with telework. We recommend hangout, Facebook Workplace, Zoom, and Uber Conference.
Although it may be tempting to use all the communication tools. It is important only to use one or two that meet the requirements of your office.
“Part of the problems in the world today is that there are too many options,”
People communicate through WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Linked In, and email, and it is so easy to get lost. “
“You have to be able to give your team something that everything that has to do with the real estate market. And anything related to the company has a single place where they can go to understand what is happening.”
Communicate, Communicate, and Communicate
Getting the right tech tools is not only a part of the battle. The next thing is, and without a doubt, the most important step, which is to increase the level and frequency of communications with staff and agents which called real estate agents with telework.
We recommend that you hold 15-minute team meetings every day to update them on what is happening that day. And share any important information about the company or real estate industry.
“If you are a Broker who has multiple people working telematically, schedule some check-ins so that people can see the points of the day. And week that we are going to discuss when we meet, just like they would in an office,”
Although the message platforms are fast and convenient, you should not rely on them. Exclusively since situations require a deeper level of conversation that cannot be obtained through chats.
“Encourage people to use more than instant messages, If there is a problem that needs to be clarified if there is a misunderstanding, pick up the phone.
You can use your mobile phone or call by hangouts.”
Although consistent communication is the key for a remote team to thriv. Brokers must resist the temptation to flood their staff and agents with calls and messages.
“It is a different management method when you seat people in the same space versus when they are located in different places,”
“As a Broker, you may develop some anxiety asking yourself, is this person working right now? And you start making phone calls to that person to verify it. “
“As a Broker, you need to trust your team fully, and that is going to require some training when you can always be there to see what they do, you have to support yourself and trust them.”
Reiterate core values and goals
Focusing on company culture is key to thriving through tough times and emergencies like the coronavirus.
“Our core values are the focus of everything we do in the organization.”
Having strong core values that everyone understands is the key to building trust, an important factor when working remotely.
You must have a sense of cohesion that everyone must adhere to, I have this feeling that” These people depend on me, they are not in the same place, and they need me to do my tasks.
So this is a good psychological feeling of interdependence. Someone depends on me for their work, and I depend on them to get things done, and just because I don’t see them, there must be a trust factor.
In addition to reviewing the core values, as a Broker, you must be concise about the company’s goals, which are expected daily, weekly, and monthly.
You need to outline what you expect of your employees and agents and not be afraid to communicate it.
Don’t forget the little details
“Don’t forget the little details, make sure you remember everyone.”
Add birthdays, work anniversaries, and other important dates to your calendar to develop and maintain a personal connection with your agents.
Use this moment to prepare for the future
“I believe that this situation will impact the future of work.”
This can change the way people work, organizations think, and how organizations are prepared for something like this. Today is the coronavirus, but we may see more things like this. Brokers should use this situation to identify tools they need to add to the technology they already use and identify what improvements they need to make in their office and communications structure.
If you were to disappear from the physical workplace overnight, what would you take with you? This is not something you can flip a switch on and make happen. You have to be deliberate.
Brokers, especially independent ones, need to be prepared to invest the time and funds necessary to quickly switch to a remote work environment, either due to an emergency or simply to meet a more open team’s needs to work from home.
Everybody needs to be prepared and have at least a plan, and that comes at a price, everybody needs a containment plan, so it doesn’t take them a week or two or three to figure out how they’re going to deal with this situation.
