By Tamiracle Williams
We are living in unprecedented times and COVID-19 has changed the way real estate professionals are conducting business. In-person activities have been limited due to social distancing guidelines, which involves virtual home tour, online meetings and working from home. Still adjusting to the new normal, check out these tips for making the most out of working from home.
Virtual Meetings
By now you know the basics of working with Zoom and other online meeting platforms, but are you actively listening. It can be easy to get distracted with emails, social media or children while on a Zoom call. Before you hop on a call, try to eliminate distractions when possible. For example, put your devices on Do Not Disturb or Quiet Mode. Having a distraction free zone can help you be more attentive and actively participate in the call.
If you are hosting a virtual meeting, consider joining the meeting early to greet attendees or create a welcome graphic that promotes engagement in the chat section among participants. Virtual meetings can often feel impersonal, so try dedicating the first five minutes to an icebreaker.
Some platforms like Zoom even offer breakout sessions to allow small group discussions. This can be a great tool for large staff meetings, so that individual departments are able to debrief following any important announcements or changes.
For more tips on virtual meetings, check out our 5 Tips on How to Prepare for a Video Call video on YouTube.
Online Marketing
Quarantine has made renters and current homeowners rethink their current living situation. Become creative with your marketing strategy to establish yourself as a resource for current and potential clients. Host live video tours, virtual open houses, send targeted email blasts or work with an affiliate business partner to create professional video marketing for your active listings.
Free Time
As a busy real estate professional, it can be easy to overlook things on your website until they are brought to your attention by someone else. Take some time to go through your entire website to make sure everything is relevant and updated to reflect your current business model. Broken links can not only look unprofessional to potential clients, but Google penalizes your search engine rankings for it. If you are not sure how to audit your
website, there are tons of free tools and worksheets that can help review your website. This is also a great time to scrub your email marketing lists.
New and seasoned real estate professionals can also use this time to complete a certification or designation course or learn a new skill that can help you better your businesses. As a member of Greater Tampa REALTORS® you have FREE access to the David Knox Real Estate video library. You can also catch up on the latest industry news with your FREE Inman Select account.
