Clelia Peters and Homeward CEO Tim Heyl shared with the Inman Connect audience the industry trends every real estate professional should be following.

Inman events are the best way to connect, learn and grow. Join us this week, Oct. 26-28, for Inman Connect Las Vegas, in-person or virtually. Then, continue to gain insights, strategies, and tactics to keep your business growing and make 2022 your best year ever with a full line-up of 2022 events! Save the dates, and register now!

Looking toward the future is a huge part of any real estate agent’s job but just what that means can be a challenge to figure out. Should you be keeping your eye on blockchain and cryptocurrency? Fine-tuning your virtual sales? Or backing down on technology and prioritizing face-to-face contact?

While it can be difficult to predict just where the industry will go, a number of trends have clearly emerged in the pandemic and post-pandemic aftermath as the industry adapts to an uncertain but rapidly-advancing future.

“A lot of that innovation is already taking hold,” Clelia Peters, Inman’s editor at large, said at a session titled “Real Estate Trends to Bet One” at Inman Connect Las Vegas. “Things are truly changing in the industry. They’ve changed a lot in the last five years and they’re going to change a lot more in the next five years.”

Clelia Peters

Here are some of the trends you can expect to see in 2022 and beyond.

Automation and digitalization

If you haven’t noticed that real estate is being automated, you haven’t been paying attention. The industry may have been slow to catch up compared to other fields but clients now expect to see everything from mortgage applications to contract signing to take place entirely online. It is no longer a “perk” that agents can offer clients but a necessity for every part of the homebuying process.

“Whether it’s things that bring more transparency to the process so people have more clarity around what’s going on or tools that support them in bundling these transactions together so that they have one place where they’re managing the whole thing or even simple things like notarizing, clients expect the process to be fast-tracked and [automated],” Peters said.

Bundling

Bundling, or what is otherwise known as becoming a one-stop shop for multiple parts of the homebuying process, is increasingly necessary for brokerages that want to stay on top of the future. Whether that means partnering with a lender or notary or making it possible for clients to apply for mortgages while they’re still in the home, many homebuyers increasingly expect the homebuying process to start with you and continue seamlessly forward.

“Traditional brokerages have been doing that for decades but we’re increasingly seeing new companies come on the scene and bring things together to create consumer benefits in the form of bundle packages,” Homeward’s Tim Heyl told the audience.

Customer relationships

Tim Heyl

You’ve heard it before but, after the pandemic has kept everyone online for months, many clients are increasingly looking to build meaningful — and that often means face-to-face — connections.

While going offline and giving your clients a call (or even an in-person visit!) can seem like the opposite of where the future is headed, it is actually what will make you stand out as an agent who is not simply looking to make money but truly cares about clients.

And that goes both ways as brokerages also need to care for and foster relationships with their agents.

“The agent is really the customer of the brokerage,” Peters said. “While the agent should be providing to the buyers and sellers, the brokerage should be providing to the agent. That is a really meaningful shift in mindset.”

Concierge services

Whether in 2001 or 2021, one of the biggest benefits that an agent offers is the service — caring about your clients and treating them like a valued guest. That is both a trend (isolation due to COVID-19 has made many crave that kind of deeper connection) and something that customers have wanted since time immemorial.

Take the time to truly look our for your clients and you will be on top of anything that 2022 brings.

“We are real luxury providers,” Peters said. “That’s going to be like concierge, like staying at the Waldorf or the Four Seasons. We want to bring that experience of things being done for you and your money goes toward that type of service.”

Email Veronika Bondarenko

homebuying
Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×