Real Estate Team 2.0: Technology and Humans

Every team member will be wired -- smart phone, laptop, mobile printer, video camera, digital camera. Every team will have their own website and each team member will be responsible for optimizing their sites. Each team member will have a blog that they post to on a regular basis. Each of the sites will have plenty of links between them to lead clients to the whole team and everything the company has to offer. There will be one company site managed by the leader.

The marketing person will be in charge of staying on top of new technologies and training the team members to use the new technologies. Team members will understand the difference between using technology and having technology use them, which brings us back to the philosophy of the team and the role of the leader.

Understanding technology in a broader sense entails the technology of sytems and a 2.0 team should have a thorough understanding of the system in which it works. In order for there to be little wasted energy each team member will have to undergo thorough training learning each part of the system and how each action in one part of the system affects the other parts. Information management is built on the proper use of databases and input -- garbage in, garbage out. 

The old reliance on one "computer" person will not get it, everyone must know. This is where it takes talented individuals who buy into the company's vision. Most agents have no interest in learning all the different aspects of information management systems, but for the team to work together and unleash its power, it will be necessary for everyone to learn. It's not good enough to know if you hit a button something happens, the team members will need to understand WHY the systems are developed and how they affect the company's performance. There will be no excuse for an agent to tell a client that so-and-so is sick and they'll have to wait to get the information.

Each agent ought to be wired and knowledgeable enough to retrieve information from anywhere at anytime and know how to handle most problems when they arise. Whatever system is developed, you don't want one or two people in the system creating problems out of ignorance. Clients are impressed when you can produce the information they need when they need it.

How do you train and motivate a team to function at this level? First you select the team carefully. The hiring process should be painstakingly thorough. The technology used for personality testing can be useful during the interviewing and selection process. The leader should decide beforehand what type of team members are suited for such a company. Not everyone must be the same personality type, but they must have the intelligence and capacity to perform and and be a valuable addition. Some people are self-motivated to the point that you just tell them what the goal is and sit back and watch them accoplish it, others need more hands-on management to unleash their power. I have managed people who were excellent employees, but they needed a lot of guidance -- they are eager to learn and learn quickly and efficiently with one-on-one coaching. I have managed others who were more visual and social and learned very well in role-playing or going to workshops. Everyone has their learning style and the leader must know which style is which and facilitate the learning individually -- or have a well-rounded approach to teaching so that every personality type is given what they need.

The important part is that on-going education is encouraged, expected and provided, whether in-house or from outside sources. Bringing in professionals to promote learning in different areas is a good idea. Attorneys, tech people, lenders, etc., can all be called on to help in the learning process -- much of this is offered through associations, but as a leader, I would want to provide my on subjects so that pertinent information is given and not just half-assed seminars to get continuing-ed credits.

The team members will have to be committed to learning for this to work, so, again, selecting the right players is vital. Most people aren't resistant to learning if it's interesting and presented correctly, if they are inspired to learn and can visualize the benefits -- this is where the leader earns his/her keep.