Digitalisation is a constantly evolving phenomenon and occupies a central place in our society. In many areas, this process has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences. The real estate world is no exception.
Between virtual visits and appointments, electronic contract signatures and remote property valuation, real estate agencies have had to react and adapt to these changes. To do so, their working tools have evolved. Today, the vast majority of agencies have a website or are present on social networks. However, about 3% of agencies do not wish to expose their activities online.
Main transformations
The main changes brought about by digitalisation are
- The elimination of paper for property management. Everything has become electronic.
- Online conferences in order to maintain contact between employees and with current and potential clients.
- Virtual visits in order to reassure a potential buyer/tenant and to give them the possibility to project themselves more easily.
- The inventory of fixtures is also beginning to be digitised. This makes it possible to maintain a dialogue with the former owner/tenant of a property while respecting sanitary measures.
Augmented reality and 3D modelling are also technologies used by some players in the real estate world. Several of these services have been developed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and may continue to be offered in the future.
Growth opportunity
Digitalisation is having a positive impact on the activities of real estate professionals. It offers time savings, more visibility and a wider audience thanks to search engines and social networks. The latter know how to meet the needs of increasingly demanding consumers: proximity, speed, diversification.
Reinventing your business
New technologies are influencing consumers' expectations, who want, for example, better access to information. To achieve this, more and more companies are using bots or conversational agents to help consumers and answer their questions. This also makes it possible to be "available" at all times.
Birth of new professions
Digitalisation has led to the creation of new professions in the real estate world: "Building Information Modeling", "Data Scientist", "Digital and CRM Manager", etc. Digital skills are becoming increasingly important. However, contact with the client, professional expertise and the maintenance of a certain level of trust between the various players remain, as was already the case, essential.
