You Are Not an Encyclopedia!

Your job description does not include "encyclopedia." Even if you are a local area expert, intimately familiar with the properties in your town, you probably do not know how many bedrooms the home at 10764 Adams St. has or know the exact dimensions of the lot at 52 Morrison Ave. without looking it up.

If you handle a lot of property or do a lot of advertising, you or your staff could spend considerable time fielding information calls about property details.

Here is a case where Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology can be a big help to you. By dialing a hotline number, interested buyers can learn about properties of interest. When they want to talk in detail about a couple, they can press a key to get through to the operator. This technology can also be used make automated calls to real estate prospects to dispense information about mortgages rates, property availability, .or special programs. The IVR will, of course, have a strong call to action associated with it. You can be on the job collecting leads even when the office is closed.

Customers may sometimes be frustrated with automated home systems but an IVR can also give them access to property information 24/7 - a convenience in line with people who are suddenly struck with a house Jones at 3 am after driving around earlier in the day.

IVR technology is a perfect example both of how you can orchestrate work without having to do it all yourself and how you can incorporate technology into your business. It can give you a competitive edge that is worth trying.