Countdown to NAPE - Part 5
Countdown to NAPE Summit
Is Opportunity Knocking?
Delivering More for Less: Increased Efficiency = Increased Competitiveness
Note: This series is geared toward land brokerages. It is designed to help them realize how they can differentiate themselves and therefore be more competitive by utilizing technology solutions already available to them. Obviously, if you are engaged in the hiring of brokerages, this information will be helpful to you as well. A more efficient brokerage can deliver more for less, and everybody wins.
Part 1 of 5 – Broker and Client Billing
Part 2 of 5 – Title Management
Part 3 of 5 - Field Acquisition
Part 4 of 5 – Asset Tracking
Part 5 of 5 – The Status Quo is too Expensive
What is the status quo and why is it too expensive?
Many brokerages have served their clients well over the years and have been rewarded with success. As an avowed capitalist, I applaud that success. Within that group, there are two camps. The first is the group that sees no reason to change what has always worked for them in the past, sort of a ‘dance with the one who brung you’, or ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’, or ‘son, are you really gonna sit there and tell me I’m not doing it right already?’ approach. On the surface, it can be difficult to refute the logic, but nevertheless my reference to the status quo is aimed at them—those that will continue doing what they’ve always done because they’ve always done it that way…
The other group recognizes that we work in and enjoy an ever-changing industry, and they watch the horizon for signs of what is coming, in order to be best prepared for it when it arrives. They recognize that, in order to remain competitive, it does not pay to rest on their laurels. Land brokerage is a competitive business, and in order to stay competitive, brokerages need to embrace anything that helps them deliver as much for their clients as possible per precious dollar paid. Not being able to deliver high quality work efficiently (and therefore affordably) will eventually lead to less work. So yes, doing things the same way just because that’s the way it has always been done is ultimately the most expensive, and uncompetitive, way to run a brokerage.
Opportunity is Knocking…
Regardless of whether you refer to the current state of the industry as a downturn, a slowdown, a pullback—whatever, we are in a part of a natural cycle that most of us have been through multiple times. Work is difficult to come by, especially new work. Costs are being curtailed in every way possible.
But business owners intuitively know that there are some infrastructure components that simply have to be in place in order to be ready for the inevitable request to tool up again. It doesn’t make sense to close the office or disconnect the phone, and letting key personnel go leaves a brokerage vulnerable to not being in a position to accept work.
I submit that an efficient, well-designed and affordable system such as has been described in this series is a critical part of any brokerage’s infrastructure. I further submit that it makes great sense to implement such a system now, during this downturn, so that staff is trained, policies are in place, etc. when things start to happen again. I have been doing this long enough to know that, even with the best system, it is not a good bet to try to implement such a system hastily, particularly in response to the start of a big, important project.
The time is now. Opportunity is knocking. Will you answer the door?
Whether you ultimately choose TotaLand or another solution, you owe it to yourself to use this time to research and implement a system that will make you as competitive as possible. I hope you will do so.
We at TotaLand have seen dramatic improvements in the lives of our clients, increasing their work and client base through increased efficiency, and allowing them to focus on what the client is paying them to do. How much is that worth to any organization, particularly one trying to remain competitive in a difficult environment? If your organization is not utilizing such technology, come visit us at booth 2552 next week at NAPE Summit, or give us a call at 800-465-5877. Even if you do not consider yourself a prospective client, please come by and say hello. Hope to see you there!
Bill Justice – Founder / President, TotaLand Technologies