How to Be Unstoppable with Data and Technology

Find your data points, combine them with storytelling and you’ll be unstoppable

What do buzzwords like artificial intelligence, machine learning, voice marketing and social media mean to agents and real estate professionals? They can be the difference in stronger lead generation, growing your network, winning more listings and overall business growth. It’s easier than it sounds to incorporate data and technology into your business, and it can actually be fun, as long as you are open to change.

There was a resonating theme about embracing change and doing so in your own, authentic way throughout the first-ever She’s Unstoppable real estate conference. The event, hosted by Livy Girl Coaching for Women, drew nearly 500 women for a jam-packed two days to network and share secrets to success.

Coldwell Banker was proud to sponsor and speak at the conference where Zoe Horneck, VP of product marketing and communications, and Carla Hayes, director of industry and public relations, took to the stage to discuss how two topics that can’t be ignored in the real estate industry – data and technology – can be used to help you find your authentic story and share it in a compelling way.

Tell Your Story with MLS Data

Ask yourself what sets you apart from the competition. Are you the best at finding the right buyer, helping listings sell in record time? Do you price homes so well that your sellers get their asking price time and again? This kind of value can be proven by data found in your MLS. Use that data to support your personal brand, the story you want to tell, and show sellers why you’re the best person for the job.

When you head into a listing presentation with average “days on market” for your listings and compare that to the market average, you’re proving to potential sellers that you can sell their home faster. When your list-to-sell price ratio is higher than other agents, you are proving your expertise and giving support for your pricing recommendation.

Collect Your Own Data

The awesome thing about being in this business in 2019 is that you have access to tons of data, but you’re not limited by what the MLS provides. You also have the power to collect your own data that supports your brand or the story you want to tell. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram all allow you to set up free polls. You can survey your past sellers and find out what was important to them – selling quickly or getting a higher price? Then use that in your listing presentation to show that sellers who want to sell quickly choose you because of your lower days on market than the average agent. You can also turn these stats into content for your blog or YouTube channel and become a local celebrity in your market.

We did this with the Coldwell Banker Women in Leadership Initiative. We wanted to understand why there is still a leadership gap in real estate so we surveyed more than 2,000 employed U.S. adults to compare the leadership and professional ambitions of men and women who work in female-dominated industries like real estate. Not only did this survey give us a better understanding of what is behind the continued gender leadership gap, but it also allowed us to tell our story in new ways and in new places.

Agents can also look beyond personal data and the MLS, to resources their brand or broker provides. Coldwell Banker, for example, provides its network with powerful data insights made available through the CBx Technology Suite. The exclusive set of products turns big data into useable market insights that help agents find sellers, win listings, locate buyers and close the deal.

Understand and Embrace Change to Get Ahead

The key to making the data and technology work for you is as simple as keeping an open mind and willingness to embrace change. Sue Yannaccone, regional executive vice president of the Eastern Seaboard and Midwest regions of Coldwell Banker/NRT, summed it up by saying, “Take the time to understand why things are changing. If you can do that, it will make your business stronger and you will be light years ahead of your colleagues who won’t.”

Sue went on to explain that new technology isn’t meant to create hurdles, it’s here to make us more efficient, augment our skill set, and enable business growth. The more technology we get, the more it becomes clear that it can’t replace you as an agent and your hyperlocal market knowledge. But by gaining an understanding of what it can do and what it might be able to do 10 years from now, you can leverage those capabilities in your business and strengthen your unique values in the areas that tech can’t touch.

Her advice? If you’re introducing tech tools to your business, know that you don’t need to do it all at once – pick one or two areas of your business to focus on your tech use and become an expert in those areas. As you continue to grow your success, have a strong, supportive team behind you so you can help each other advance. Work hard and say yes to opportunity, and you’ll be unstoppable.

To find out more about how Coldwell Banker can be the place that supports you and your business, visit CBWomen.com.

Athena Snow

Senior Manager, Public Relations & Giving for Coldwell Banker. Grew up in Sarasota and attended college at Western Carolina University. Athena wanted to wake up in that city that doesn’t sleep so headed to Madison Avenue to start her marketing career. She has been with this awesome brand for more than 15 years and can be found generating buzz about CB in every way possible. Athena helps to grow the brand’s position as the most storied real estate company within the industry and has led many high-profile endeavors; she was at the forefront of the brand’s pioneering smart home campaign, raised $6 million in two years to build 130 Habitat for Humanity homes, and led the Homes for Dogs program in partnership with Adopt-a-Pet.com that resulted in tens-of-thousands of dogs finding their furever home. She currently leads the CB Supports St. Jude program, which encourages the Coldwell Banker network’s 96,000+ real estate agents to make donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for every real estate transaction they represent. In her spare time, you can find her either digging up a new area in her yard for another flower bed or planning her next travel adventure. She's the proud mom of three cats Jolene, Ziggy and Lucy.