The sudden lull in the real estate market brought on by COVID-19 hasn’t just affected agents, it’s forced The Studio to rethink how we support them.
Real estate agents are already very virtual because they’re constantly on the road and working from their car. But the inability to meet with clients and show homes was a massive change in how they work. How do you sell a property or help a buyer find the right home, and keep transactions moving forward, when you can’t meet in person?
While this situation is certainly unique, it’s not the first industry shake-up we’ve seen, so we quickly mobilized and The Studio jumped into action.
Living, Working and Succeeding Virtually
To help agents quickly adapt to doing all of their work remotely, we partnered with the Coldwell Banker education team to create the Virtual Education Expo, a series of one-hour webinars with experts, leading agents and influencers who share tips, tricks and updates to help agents keep their business moving forward. Because truly, we are all in this together as an industry, we opened the expo to all agents, not just those affiliated with Coldwell Banker.
Sessions included the CEO of Guaranteed Rate Affinity about how mortgages and even closings can be done virtually. Another showed how to use social media to stand out, particularly at a time when everyone is sitting at home and scrolling through social media. We’ve also talked about how to create property videos in a time when you’re sheltered in place.
In the first week alone, more than 20,000 agents tuned in to watch the Virtual Education Expos.
Listing Concierge Becomes Even More Virtual
The Studio’s Listing Concierge product, which creates a wide range of property marketing materials for agents, already provided a number of virtual pieces that would be useful in this time of sheltering in place. But to ensure the program was doing everything it could to best support agents, The Studio quickly modified the program to deliver a stronger, more robust digital marketing experience for clients.
Among some of the changes made, agents can now choose between ordering property brochures or opting for enhanced social media and online advertising. The Listing Concierge team worked closely with our photography partners to secure discounts on Matterport 2D, video and virtual walkthroughs. And properties are receiving longer-running exposure in The Update, a weekly eBlast sent to all local real estate agents letting them know what new properties are on the market.
Forging Closer Bonds With One’s “Sphere of Influence”
The lifeblood of an agent’s business is their contact list – their “sphere of influence” – where the majority of their business originates either directly or through referrals. We already had products in place that agents use to keep in touch with their sphere through eBlasts, social media assets and printed materials such as postcards. But the sudden onset of a down market and the shelter in place orders that many states had implemented meant the usual content was irrelevant, at best. Who wants to receive an email from their agent about the hot spring selling market when you’re unable to leave your home and were just furloughed?
So, The Studio quickly sprang into action and cranked out a series of messages and social media assets that were very specific to the situation. They ranged from empathic wishes of health and safety to tips about how to get the most out of your shelter in place time. We sprinkled in messages about how Coldwell Banker agents were uniquely positioned to market and sell properties and help buyers find their dream home using our proprietary products.
COVID-19 Response Tools in One Convenient Location
We also knew agents were juggling more than usual, so we partnered with the Coldwell Banker brand to create a Coldwell Banker Realty Content Hub, which provides access to everything they need in a single, neatly organized location.
During these uncertain times, The Studio is committed to supporting agents with the latest information, resources and guidance to keep this business moving and all of us moving forward.
Stay safe out there – we will get through this together!
