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The following post is a guest contribution from Angel Piontek, Associate Broker and Vice President of Marketing with Coldwell Banker Elite in Fredericksburg, VA
Every day, sellers and real estate professionals sit down at a kitchen table or living room couch to discuss a partnership. These discussions range from determining the sales price, negotiation, an effective communication plan and more. The goal for the seller is to find the right agent who can best represent their interests and help guide them through the selling process. As technology and homes have evolved throughout the years, part of today’s conversation includes the topic of smart home and the increasing consumer demand for more convenience, safety, security, and savings.
The popularity of connected products has gained momentum over the past few years and we have seen more homes with smart home devices installed. According to the Coldwell Banker survey released this month, 32 percent of Americans report having smart home products in their homes, revealing a 33 percent year-over-year increase.
As agents, we may discuss the differentiating factor a connected home provides, but there is one thing we aren’t saying on listing appointments. We aren’t saying how critical it is to partner with an agent who knows how to market a smart home. Here are five reasons why:
1) A smart home agent will know how to convey the benefits of smart home products.
The seller should be aware that our responsibility is to educate both the buyer and their agent on what devices convey and the benefits they will enjoy. For example, a smart lock isn’t just a lock that is connected to the internet. The lifestyle benefits include peace of mind knowing who has accessed the home, the ability to virtually give a key to a guest and revoke access when they no longer need it and the security of knowing the kids are home from school based on alerts. These are just some of the ways an agent who knows smart home can convey to the prospective buyer.
2) A smart home agent knows that it requires creativity.
An installed smart home device is no better than its “dumb” counterpart without effective marketing. Agents should have fun marketing smart homes with video walkthroughs, product demonstrations, 3D tours that call out the devices and more.
3) A smart home agent is an invaluable resource.
There are many things to consider when listing a smart home. There are security issues with having recording devices in the home and it’s important that those are disclosed upfront. A smart home agent will also be able to help facilitate the hand-off to the buyer with advice on resetting products and where to find more information.
4) A smart home agent knows what will appeal to the buyer.
According to the Coldwell Banker survey, 77 percent of the respondents would want smart thermostats pre-installed. This type of data is gathered to help educate Coldwell Banker agents on what consumers are looking for. You can help guide the seller in choosing what devices will appeal to the most buyers. Don’t forget, we are the only brand that has a Smart Home Staging Kit. The products in this kit were chosen because they have the most consumer appeal.
5) A smart home agent should be certified. Coldwell Banker agents have access to the first-ever smart home certification class that educates them on the history and future of smart home as well as how to properly market a home that meets the CNET description of a smart home. In addition to the certification course, Coldwell Banker continues to be a leader in smart home and delivers valuable content on a regular basis.
A smart home needs a smart home certified agent.
I read your article about smart home marketing in the listing appointment and how important it is to let prospective sellers know how important it is to partner up with a smart home certified agent. My broker got us all certified a couple of years ago, which I very much appreciate, but some of the points you brought up in the blog were not part of the certification. For example, the video demonstrations of smart home devise usage as part of the home’s marketing and the teaching the buyers as part of the transition are ver important aspects that I believe would justify further continuing education offering within the CBU area . For those of us that are certified, I believe we need to stay on top of all the technology we may run across and how it works. We have a Siri in each of our office locations to use as a demonstrator, but I think this is just a start.