Like so many other areas of our lives, the process of buying and selling homes has been irrevocably transformed by technology. Specifically, tech that enables immediacy — think on-the-spot negotiations, instant access to property information, lightning-fast contracts, and more.
Gus Meikle, from The Agency, reflects on how far things have come. “A decade ago, it was reasonable for someone to send an inquiry on one day, and we’d respond the next — perhaps making an appointment for the day after to catch up. Not anymore. Today, people expect to get things done straight away.”
Sure, new technologies have played a huge part in this shift. But so too has the changing real estate market. Demand for real estate has skyrocketed — particularly in the Perth areas in which Gus operates — and both buyers and sellers know they need to move fast so they don’t miss out.Â
Fortunately, tools exist to help both real estate agents like Gus and his clients keep up. Here, he shares how Realtair’s real estate end-to-end platform helps him stay front and centre in a highly competitive market.
There’s never been more pressure on real estate agents to act fast. “It’s all about making it as easy as possible to do business with us,” Gus explains.Â
“We might make a great impression in our initial meeting, but if we mess around for a week afterwards getting everything ready, well, that’s simply not good enough in 2023.”
“Today, clients want to move forward straight away. This means having the digital contract signed, the photography booked, the first home open scheduled — basically, everything in place, right away. And, to live up to these expectations, we need the best technology. It’s all about being as organised and prepared as we can, so there are no headaches, no fuss.”
And it’s why Gus uses Realtair. He started out using Realtair Pitch back in 2021, and as the platform evolved, so too did his adoption of it. Today, he’s using the entire platform to accelerate sales and transform the buying and selling experience.
For real estate agents like Gus, who are often enlisted to sell blocks of land in regional areas, Timed Auctions are opening up new opportunities to boost sales. Held online over a set period, they create a sense of urgency, while building trust through a completely transparent auction process. The best bit? All of the offers and bids are self-managed through Realtair.
Gus cites the example of a block of land that had been on the market for a while. “With offers coming in sporadically, we weren’t getting anywhere with it — we never had two buyers interested at the same time, so there was no competition to drive up the price,” he says.
“So I suggested a Timed Auction to the vendor. We ended up with four reasonable bidders and a result that was close enough to the reserve that the vendor was happy. It was a really good result — the property could still be on the market today if we hadn’t had a crack at doing something different.”
According to Gus, the buyers joined the Timed Auction from wildly disparate locations, including Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. “They all hailed from different places but came to the same digital location — using technology that’s really easy for everyone. Every time a new bid came through, all registered buyers would get an alert via text and email. It’s completely transparent.
Gus also raves about Realtair’s ability to take private treaty offers online. Before a home open, he gets all the property information and documentation ready to go, including one simple yet powerful device: a QR code.
This QR code, which is generated by Realtair and links straight through to an online portal where buyers can make a secure offer, can be added to the messages that go out to every person who visits the home open. The message could say, “Hi Jane, thanks for coming to check out 20 Greenwood Street. If you’re interested, I’ve got all the documents, reports and rent appraisals ready to go. To make an offer, follow this link.”
This puts the ball in the buyer’s court while giving them the room to decide without pressure. And for Gus, it means a much smoother and faster process. “Once upon a time, I’d wrap up a home open, send a text or call the client, lock up, collect all my home open signs, and then head back to the office to follow up with buyers,” he says.
“Now, buyers are making offers before I’ve even locked the front door. They can also submit feedback if they’re not interested, which all helps in delivering more transparency.”
From Pitch to Sign to Sell, Gus is embracing all that Realtair has to offer. Why? It means he can move faster — a critical trait in an industry that is evolving as quickly as this one.Â
As Gus says, it’s so easy to get started. “Don’t be scared by new technology. Once you’ve had a play around with Realtair, you’ll see how user-friendly and flexible it is.”
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