Buyers and sellers have access to more information today than they did even five years ago and thats great news, right?

Sort-of. While its great that our clients can do a lot of pre-planning for buying and selling, not all of the information out there is accurate. Some of it is wildly inaccurate (including many automated valuation models such as Zillow Zestimates and Trulia Estimates), and that can cause problems. Additionally, many of the things that Realtors used to be the go-to source for can be tackled from the comfort of someones own couch, from mortgage pre-qualification to getting all of the details on neighborhoods and schools.

That said, you can still provide a lot of value for your clients even those who are glued to iPads, smartphones and laptops.

Providing Value to Increasingly Web-Based Clients

Before you can go above-and-beyond for your clients, you need to make sure youre up to speed. Being technologically proficient isnt a bonus anymore. Its a necessity. You need to understand how important it is to respond to emails before leads get cold, how social media drives buyers and sellers choices, and how important it is to keep digital data organized.

You also have to have the freedom to work the way you want to and that includes being able to be flexible with your commissions if its absolutely necessary (you cant get that at a traditional brokerage).

The ultimate value, though? Being an in-person resource for the local area. While buyers can find information on which neighborhoods have playgrounds and where the nearest supermarket is located, the Internet doesnt tell them that the mechanic down the corner is the friendliest guy in town, or that the small mom-and-pop shop honors competitors coupons on Thursdays and that residents on 4^th Street have monthly block parties all summer long.

The point is what people really value is face-to-face, in-person contact. Ultimately, they want to do business with someone they can trust; someone whos an invaluable resource on all of the things they cant find online. Since Benchmark agents have the ability to work on their own schedules and the advantage of being able to structure every deal, were in a position to provide much more value than other Middle Tennessee Realtors.

Ready to become a Benchmark agent and enjoy complete control over your real estate career? Call us at (615)371-1544 or fill out the form below. If youd like, well set up a meeting and answer all of your questions.