Operating a real estate agency with a remote team can save costs but you need a few measures in place to ensure people are engaged and productive.
Rising costs and diminishing profit margins (plus the looming threat of a property market in decline) mean it’s time to think creatively when it comes to your team.
Fortunately, COVID has increased everyone’s comfort with working remotely and building relationships without meeting face to face. This provides the opportunity to minimise costs. You can reduce your need for commercial office space and grow an offshore team which supports the people you have on the ground in Australia. This will give you the financial ‘breathing room’ to add local headcount as well.
When done well, a remote and outsourced team can be incredibly effective for a real estate business. However, there are some factors you need to get right. Here are some tips for agencies which want to make the most of this model.
Delegate by task, not role
Thanks to our widely diverse brains, your team member’s priorities and definition of progress won’t be the same as yours. Telling someone they’re in charge without being specific about what they have to do can backfire when you’re not in the same physical space.
Instead of saying, “Take care of client services”, you need to outline what this specifically involves. A list may include clear communication touchpoints, standard scripts and minimum standards. Over time, you won’t need to micromanage but if you’re not working from the same location it is more important to clarify tasks, not titles as you won’t have as many opportunities to check in.
Document all processes
The scope for learning can be diminished when people can’t cross an office to ask a quick question. Many agencies now create central education hubs where people can access instructions for everything from how to conduct a property inspection to how to file an expense request.
Loom is a handy tool which allows you to make a quick video and record your screen. You can also ask your team to make instruction documents each time they encounter a new task which someone else may need to do at some stage in the future.
Give your learning ‘hub’ a name (e.g. The Filing Cabinet or The Library) and refer newcomers instead of walking them through every new task. You’ll find they are able to upskill more independently.
Define all systems
Everything needs to have a clear process and these processes shouldn’t live in people’s heads.
Spend some time with your team ensuring systems are standardised so your customers have standard experiences, regardless of who they encounter in your business.
This will make a big difference when you onboard new staff because less time will be lost explaining things.
Digitise your records and communication platforms
When everything can be accessed from the cloud, it doesn’t matter where your workers are based. So long as they have a device and an internet connection, they should be able to find the answer they need.
It takes some time and money to migrate to the cloud and you may need to outsource to an IT team to ensure your platforms are working the way you need them to but the benefits will rapidly become clear.
One tip when it comes to communication is to use a work-focused app such as Slack or Google chat. People tend to switch into personal mode on more mainstream platforms like Facebook or Whatsapp and become tempted to establish their own micro-groups. This can lead to messages being sent which are less than professional.
Don’t forget to create personal touchpoints
Remote teams have been found to be productive and efficient. Many employers feared people would not get their work done outside of the office but in fact a lot of people find it easier to focus. They also appreciate the opportunity to skip the daily commute, and repay their employer with loyalty and hard work.
However, there is always the risk of losing touch. You can mitigate this by reaching out to people on a personal level. There are plenty of Zoom-friendly applications which allow you to play games as an online team, socialise as a group or get together in breakout rooms.
The phone still has a role to play as well. Set up one-on-one chats with your team so they have the chance to raise issues they are struggling with and you have the opportunity to address them.