Is automation in your business the answer to all of your problems? Automation is one of those entrepreneurial buzzwords that you hear gurus shouting from the rooftops. But we wanted to really dig into the specific ways you can and CAN’T automate a real estate business. How do you automate your business when each transaction is unique? What is your main function as an agent and is it something you can amplify with the right software? What are the differences between systems and tools and automation? We are so excited to answer these questions plus take you through an awesome chatGPT prompt to blow your next listing appointment out of the water. Tune in to find out if there really is an easy button!

Leave us a review at RateThisPodcast.com/HustleHumbly

Get your FREE Database Template

Email Templates 101

Agent Systems 101

All Resources

Submit your topic ideas and toasts to Hello@HutleHumblyPodcast.com.

—————–
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
“I love Katy and Alissa and The Hustle Humbly Podcast.” <– If that sounds like you, Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let us know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’re adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow now!

The following is a rough transcript provided by Otter.ai.
Alissa 0:01
If you set it and forget it, you will forget your client. Absolutely.

Katy 0:08
I don’t want to pay your BS fee to get a fake appraisal.

Alissa 0:12
If there was a free trial out there, I tried it. Yeah,

Katy 0:16
you saw them all. It’s a slippery slope. Before you know it. You’re at the front door with some man you never heard of before telling you that he has to sell you the house.

Alissa 0:28
Ted not because I don’t think they’re valuable. I think it’s just a dumb decision being made to cut out the human. Hi, y’all. Welcome to hustle humbly. It’s Alyssa and Katie. And we are two top producing realtors in the Baton Rouge market.

Katy 0:42
We work for two different companies where we should be competitors. But we have chosen community over competition.

Alissa 0:47
The goal of our podcasts is to encourage you to find your own way in business to stop

Katy 0:51
comparing yourself and start embracing your strengths. Hi, Alyssa Katie are motivated by food today. Yes,

Alissa 0:57
today it’s episode

Katy 0:59
252. Anti automation. Yeah, I don’t know if that’s necessarily what I’m going to call it. What do you think?

Alissa 1:07
I think it’s accurate, but people are probably gonna be like, What is this about? And then they’re gonna be like, oh, yeah, this is very needed a very needed top right. While it may not be the most self explanatory topic, it is much needed. I

Katy 1:19
have no idea if we’re gonna go in the same direction with this. So I can’t wait. Can’t wait. But it makes me think of is it staples that has the easy button? Oh, like the big red button. I wish we had a big red button on the on the desk and be lazy, easy button. I feel like that’s the quest for the realtors out there. They’re just looking for the easy button.

Alissa 1:40
They’re like, How can I be in real estate but not work?

Katy 1:43
I don’t want to work. I just want to make this one touch.

Alissa 1:48
I have heard set and forget. Yes, I have heard many people mostly like not saying teams. Everyone in a team is like this. But most of my friends that are like team leaders or some sort of something like that have said something along the lines of Yeah, I would just like to not sell real estate. Or I just don’t want to and I’m like but you have. Okay. Also, you know, I think any Facebook group that you go in, this is where the who has the best CRM? Yeah.

Katy 2:21
How do you how do you use your CRM and you think

Alissa 2:24
why are people so obsessed with finding the best CRM? And it’s because I think they are trying to find the machine, the app that’s going to do their real estate business work for them? Yeah, they want the easy, but they want the one? How can we magic one? Yeah, but

Katy 2:44
you can’t automate all of your work? Correct. That Work is work. And if a computer could do your job, then you wouldn’t have one. Yes. And there are lots of computers doing lots of parts of our jobs, and more every day. And it just when I was preparing mentally for this topic, it just brings me back to ultimately, there is no automation, no CRM, no software, no website, no AI that can provide your specific buyer or seller advice. And in Louisiana, you become an agent, and I assume this is in every state, but the way our law is written, you become someone’s agent, as soon as you offer them advice. So

Alissa 3:34
agency disclosure, not buyer representation agreement, but agency disclosure should,

Katy 3:41
yes, you’re you. You owe them the certain duties. Once you have offered advice. That’s when you basically engaged in your agency relationship. Right. And I don’t care what you say, Zillow, or whatever, can’t give your client advice. We’ve

Alissa 3:57
seen people try to replace us already with robots. Yeah. Things that like what was that big program? They rolled out that failed? I like the eye buyer thing. Yeah. The eye buyer wasn’t a big one in there, like a robot that showed you the houses or like, yeah, and I know they have things out there, like scan your driver’s license and get in the house.

Katy 4:20
Literally around the block. Yeah, from here from my house. Yeah, a whole neighborhood full of rentals, where you just go show it to yourself that is

Alissa 4:27
crazy.

Katy 4:28
That even like that. So look, I mean, and then we’re gonna get to some helpful automation that I made some notes of, but if you’re afraid that a computer can do your job, then you’re not doing enough. Like if you’re like, Oh, well, a computer can do everything I’m doing, then maybe we need to add in more touch points and higher level service to our clients. Yeah. And build relationships. Which is why I think neither of us feel super concerned about being replaced. because you’re building your business off of your, your relationships with your people,

Alissa 5:03
right, and knowing that seeing the situations I have been in just this year alone, like a robot would never be able to figure this out. No, and not just I know, we’re talking a lot about, you know, a robot showing houses or, you know, submit your offer here. And we’ll just do it this way online. But, you know, I think about when I was newly licensed, right, and automation was becoming sort of a new thing. CRMs were becoming more of a thing. And I kind of thought that’s what I was supposed to do. Like, I should do this, you know, and I remember when I finally had my email templates set up, I was really looking for a program that would automatically do these things. Yeah. Oh, my gosh, it was awful. Right? The automated system was not, you can’t just set it and forget it. Here’s why. closing dates change, right? Okay. I don’t want the approaching closing email to go to my seller. Well, we just had to do a surprise six week extension, it’s inappropriate. I’m angry. Yes, it would actually end it. It has. And you also have to edit all of these things yourself. Now situation, there are things that an assistant cannot do or No, yeah, even I live living, breathing assistant, right, it will be hard, there are things that I still need to do to make this a successful transaction. That’s

Katy 6:33
why it’s hard. And there’s so much disconnect. And it’s so hard to develop a relationship when a buyer or seller is thrown into the system where it’s like, this person handles this part of the transaction, this person handles a different part that even it’s more named Tom a robot we’re just talking about? Well, the system is set up for your pre, you know, close your post close your you’re gonna do inspection with Who am I talking to now? Right? I don’t trust any of you because I don’t know any of you. Right? Like, why would I listen to you? And that’s why I liked your method of your You were always the first line of contact to your clients, not your assistant, no matter what they were doing. They weren’t meeting your clients or diving directly to them. My

Alissa 7:15
when I have had an assistant, it’s like you, they my clients never even know about them. Because they’re not there for my clients. They’re there for me. And they’re there for assigning things online. Yeah, and delegating paperwork, they are not there. Like my clients don’t even need to know about the assistant because it’s of no benefit to them. Correct. And I delegate a good amount, but there is a good amount that cannot be delegated.

Katy 7:44
Yeah. Now, I think that there is a difference between using a system and automating. I’m doing my air quotes automate. Yeah, right. Like, you have email templates, which speed up your process, even though you feel like you need to be the one having the contract with the buyer or seller. You know, the the ins and outs of that transaction, you quickly pull up that email, you can scan it really quick and know where to put in the right words, and be done with it. And you know, when it’s time to send it, right, the CRM would start screaming at you and being like, alert, call Suzy, you haven’t talked to her and one month I’m like, I don’t I don’t need to see right now every month because here’s the other thing. What if yesterday, you talked to Susie on Facebook, right? It’s it eliminates the part of your life where you’re actually living? Like, maybe you saw Susie at school yesterday. I don’t also need Yes. And I could just click the button that says completed. But at the same time, the list for me when I have to see oh, gosh, so long that I just like failure, failure. Failure. Yeah, you are a failure. Every single red person on there was I was a failure. And

Alissa 8:46
not just the systems like that. But when I was newer, the few things that I went to on accident, not really not realizing what they were, were the actual quote unquote, coach or speaker would tell you and if you can’t do it, it’s your fault. Like, right, if your CRM gets backed up, well, that’s the one you were in. It’s like, wait, but maybe that’s not the right automation that I needed. Right?

Katy 9:15
Simple. If you can’t use a simple system, you don’t need to be adding one with more bells and whistles. You need to master the simplest version of this job is simple and layer, you can layer on top. Yes, if you if you use the CRM and it works great for you, and you don’t have any stress or anxiety about it, live it up, live it up, if it’s the place where your people are, and then you don’t forget them. Great. But if you couldn’t even get them all onto one spreadsheet and simply fill out the column that said when you last talk to them, I don’t know that you’re ready for a CRM that’s gonna make you try to talk to them every other month

Alissa 9:52
and remember all the birthdays all the anniversaries, like my other

Katy 9:56
thing is collecting data just for the sake Collecting data is not helpful to you. Do you need to know everyone’s dog’s name when their mother passed away when their kids birthdays are what school they go to? Probably not. Because sometimes people are also creeped out, you know too much about them that you’ve never spoke of. So it’s kind of like, oh, when do we really need to? If and I’ve had clients many times say, Wow, you have a great memory because I do. So I’d be like, Hey, how’s your your Corgi? Like, why don’t you remember that? Like, yeah, because we have a natural connection and relationship based off of us talking to each other, not based off of maybe like, fill out this questionnaire, and I will upload it into the cloud.

Alissa 10:44
I know even one time my mom was like, Oh, I forgot to tell you Happy anniversary. I’m like, Well, you didn’t marry me to write it. Like you don’t have to remember. I don’t expect my mother to remember, let alone my realtor who sold me my house five years ago. Tell me your wedding anniversary.

Katy 10:59
That’s when that’s another weird one that’s common is the wedding anniversary of like y’all. Are you really keeping up with your buyers and sellers so well that you know that their marriage is a happy, pleasant place right now? Or that it’s still exist? What if they’ve been divorced?

Alissa 11:12
Yeah, it’s a little bit for that date forever. Well, don’t worry, my CRM will remember it for CRM will automatically send a happy anniversary card to the divorce couple. That’s what automation does, even though you knew they were divorced. Yes, you knew they were divorced, but you forgot to update the fancy CRM, that’s another happy anniversary card. That would be terrible. So tacky.

Katy 11:35
Oops, oops, I do believe you can use tools to make your work easier. So tools are fine. And I do think there are types of automation that are great that you can use, but you still have to do the work to implement them and to use them. Well.

Alissa 11:51
I always think about those buyers that came to me and said, you know, will you be our agent? We’re trying to buy a house, we do want to let you know, we had an agent before. Okay, we are terminating that relationship. And of course, I’m like, why? I have to know why I want to make sure that, you know, we’re I need to interview you as well and set expectations properly. And they said, Well, he set us up on this automated house search, okay. And it sent us about 50 houses a day, in separate emails to our emails, some had five, some had 10, you know, just all grouped just several emails a day. Definitely not the criteria we were looking for. And when we talked to him about it, he didn’t fix it. He was like, well, some of the stuff that you’re looking for doesn’t necessarily have a specific search field. So we’re gonna have to jump through each house. And they were like, well, we can’t check. He should have filtered more, right, really should have filtered? Because they expressed that this was a problem. Yes. For them. Yes. I didn’t want to do that. They were even like, this is wood. That’s why we hired you. Okay. So I was here and this is this happened. Gosh, before I had kids is when I got these clients, it was like 2015 2016. Since then, when I have a buyer looking for specific house. In the beginning, the first thing I do is set up a search and it only comes to me, okay, and then I tweak as necessary. Okay, when I realized that emails are not coming as annoyingly abundant, I then add it to where it goes to me and the client. Okay, right. And I tell the client, Hey, I’ve tweaked the search as much as I can. Now when a new listing meets your criteria, it comes to both of us, right? Please know, it’s not going to be perfect because it is a computer. Yeah, but I have it pretty specific. So you shouldn’t be getting a ton of junk, right? If you notice that something keeps popping up that you really don’t like a certain subdivision, I can fix that. So just let me know. But just know it comes to both of us now. So we both see it. I didn’t just want to if you set it and forget it, you will forget your client. Absolutely. set it and forget it is like by client. I like that you do that with the really active clients. Not every buyer. Yeah, no, no, because that would be too much right. But the ones that are really actively looking correct, you’re getting the email as well. And if you’ve watched the Trello video you can just Google like Alyssa hustle humbly Trello video how I use my Trello right now. My Trello buyer column is actually probably really need to go clean it out. It is very full. Yeah. But I would say I have for that I’m actively going out. Yes. And when I noticed someone has gone quiet, I check in recheck their timeframe, how are things looking and then may decide to take me off? Yeah. And just leave them on it. Right. It’s not this is not just, yes, houses are still going to them. They’re still on my Trello. So I know to check up with them. But I don’t need to receive the emails because they have decided to renew their lease for six more months, right. So I don’t need to keep up with those houses. That makes sense. But I think that so many agents go wrong in setting up a search and having things automatically sent to their client. Yeah, without any real filtering, you

Katy 15:27
got to filter it pretty good and get annoyed. Yeah, or, or you need to set it where it’s not going. There’s options in our MLS where it’s immediately so when a new listing comes on immediately, there’s daily there’s weekly there’s, you can pick how many days a week, you can do a monthly, like, figure out how much and then they get along email, maybe with a bunch once a week instead of every single day or every five minutes. I did a little task, okay, because I figured we’re talking about automation. I went to our friend chat GPT Okay, and I asked Chet GPT how realtors can automate their business a lie? Uh huh. And this is what chat GPT told me what realtors are really computers gonna tell me how to keep their job. Realtors can automate various aspects of their business to streamline processes, save time and improve efficiency. Here are several ways they can do so. So I’m going to give you a list of Hello, please. I think Chad GVT likes out even numbers. 12 items. Okay, the chat GPT AI machine told us you Alyssa Jenkins could streamline your processes improve efficiency using automation? I thought you were gonna say like 150 things? No, no, no, no, no, this is acceptable. And I’m gonna let you weigh in on them. Okay, number one, well, number one, your good friend, the customer relationship management software, si r m, okay. It just tells us we can use that to follow up with our clients track interactions automate follow up emails. And my note to this was sometimes it creates more overwhelm, as we’ve already talked about. So sure. Can it automate things? Yes. Would do either of us use it? No.

Alissa 17:12
And if you’ve been a listener for a long time, you know this. But the spreadsheet that I use, came because I had put all of my people into a spreadsheet, so that I could do all the free trials of the CRM right easily. Most of them allow you to do some sort of free trial. So I could just take my spreadsheet, upload it to the CRM, use it for two weeks, decide if I liked it. If there was a free trial out there. I tried it. Yeah, you saw them all. And then I was like, Wait a second. I love this spreadsheet. I just keep going back. I can make notes on this and keep track and then when I need to mail Christmas cards, I can just print labels. Like why why make this harder than making this so hard? Because I thought that’s what I should be doing. Right? Okay.

Katy 17:59
Are you ready for number two? Email marketing automation, set up automated email campaigns for lead nurturing, sending newsletters, market updates or promotions?

Alissa 18:09
I do not like automated newsletters. Please do not use those. I

Katy 18:17
have never read one that was good. Never, never have I’ve sent them in the past. Yep. When I was at REMAX and everyone was in my database, you just hit the little button and everyone gets the newsletter. And I don’t know that anyone was offended, but they also just ignored it. Yeah, like you’re like, go away. It’s like a gnat. It’s annoying, like get get away from me. It’s usually not valuable, or helpful or interesting. But we have a whole episode on newsletters and email. I have seen some newsletters that were a girl right? Yeah, that were they had some personal information that had some information about their town that had maybe the weekend events, things that your sphere would actually want to

Alissa 19:02
hear from you. And you can tell which ones are written by the person and which ones are written by the machine. One of my friends is in New Orleans and I got added to her email list and I was like and then I opened it was like oh this is so so cute. I ended up keeping it because she’s sharing all these like French Quarter listing all these things I just I don’t know when I opened her email I just glanced at it look at the pictures and delete it you know so we’re saying

Katy 19:27
automated newsletter bed written by you good market not only good, but actually valuable. Yeah, agree that market updates. Yeah. Well, you send your subdivision report to keep in touch with your old

Alissa 19:41
buyers right do have an automated subdivision report that goes to clients once a month just for the subdivision they live in showing all the activity Yeah, and sort of some great helpful graphs showing days on market or anything like that valuable easy, once a month, once a month and I set it up and it goes to them forever. Even campaigns for lead nurturing,

Katy 20:01
I have some if you wrote them if you wrote every word of them, and it’s truly how you would talk to someone, then I can maybe see where it would work. If they’re just a machine, annoying people via email, I would think twice, like just put yourself in your buyer or seller shoes. Would you want to get this email? Would it bother you? Does it sound like you? Okay, number three on the list? Social media management tools, called oh my gosh, get so worked up schedule posts in advance monitor engagement, analyze performance, using tools like HootSuite or a buffer

Alissa 20:35
or wedding is the scheduling is fine. It’s created things. Yes, it’s it’s what are you posting? Well, if you are copying and pasting and not making it yourself, when you’re posting, you’re paying a company to do this, oh, gosh, just don’t just don’t. If you’re

Katy 20:55
not in it, it’s not going to connect with your people. No, go follow modern agents Social Club, if you need tips on how to put yourself in your content, right? Because they will all these companies will post it for you. They’ll make these cheesy reels, right? Like, if it’s boring, no one’s gonna watch it. What’s the point? What’s the point? Okay, number four on the list transaction management software, utilize software specifically designed for real estate transactions to automate paperwork, reminders, and communication between the parties involved. I want to hear your thoughts on this. Um,

Alissa 21:32
I don’t use one.

Katy 21:36
So you don’t need it? You don’t need that?

Alissa 21:39
No. Oh, and not because my brain is so good now. Because it’s not where are you tracking this? Whenever I have a new contract? I put the important dates in my calendar. No, it just tells you when it’s coming. And then I have my email templates that I know when to send.

Katy 22:01
Because your job is to follow the transactions? Yes, I

Alissa 22:05
don’t certainly don’t want a computer following the transactions. They’re not

Katy 22:09
going to get it right every time. Now, I will say that there are CRMs that mesh these things together, I find more and more I think they’re starting to do like you could get your transaction management along with your car, all of the things right. Look, again, if it’s, and they always say this quote, which one is the best system? The one that you’ll use? Yes,

Alissa 22:31
yeah, here,

Katy 22:33
I want to use the guy that yelling at us from the, you know, computer screen, the long list of redlined items that we didn’t do.

Alissa 22:41
So you know, my company that I’ve been with since 2011. Just got bought, right? New Company who hasn’t really, we have? It’s like a 18 month long transition, we have a long transition period. So nothing has really changed for me being you M Yes. Okay. But the messages I’ve gotten from people at this new company that are in other parts of the country that may be listened to the podcast, I’ve gotten so many messages that are like, I think you’ll really like this one. I’ll be curious to see what you think. Because it’s so simple and clean. I think you might actually like it, maybe you will. And so I’m like, It’s been so long since I have tried a CRM or anything like that. But I’m kind of excited just to see, like people who know how I operate. I like wait, I just want your feedback.

Katy 23:35
I fundamentally think

Alissa 23:38
it won’t, you won’t. So the other problem I have with it is that in the past? I mean, I’ve been with one company for 13 years, okay. 12 years. Even when I got really into something, it changed, right? And then I was having to start always improving is always improving or companies, tech companies get bought all the time. Yeah. So what was happening is I was dedicating all this time to setting up this system. But do you know what never got messed up and never had to be redone? Your spreadsheet, my spreadsheet and my Trello? Right. It never got touched? Yeah, my business is just there how it needs to be. And it’s under my control. I know. So even if I like what a company is offering, it’s not that valuable to me, right? Even if I like it.

Katy 24:30
Yeah, because you’re actively participating in all of your transactions. I am. It’s fascinating, too. We’ll see how it goes. Because it is a tech company. Yeah,

Alissa 24:40
you’ve been bought by it’s of all things. A big tech company been bought by a tech company sounds like it’s simple tech. We’re gonna find

Katy 24:47
out we’re gonna find out we’re gonna stay tuned. All right, next on the list automated showing systems. I mean, I’m gonna give this an A plus, I want a show in time. I want people to click the button and schedule a showing. Yeah, I don’t I don’t want to have to make those.

Alissa 25:01
It makes me think when listing agents used to have to leave the keys at their office and meet people for opening doors like know who brah you even imagine. And now this little box, you know, who opens it when, when how long they were there, like, you know all it’s very, it’s safer than us going safe,

Katy 25:19
very safe. Next virtual tours and open houses. So doing any type of zoom or specialized video tour, uploading that to whatever system is going to host it. I don’t know if your MLS takes it or not. But I don’t know that that’s automated. Like you still I guess what they’re trying to say is that you’re not going to go do showing my word are not going to go you’re not going to go to the open house. So when someone’s like, Oh, you’re not going to hold an open house, you’re just going to put it virtually out in the out of the cloud

Alissa 25:49
out in the world. This is funny. Is this the thing? That’s what

Katy 25:52
Chad GvG says, Okay, how you can automate your real estate business? All right, automated property valuation tools. I can’t even get it out without laughing

Alissa 26:02
Okay. My dad, the real estate appraiser, well, he’s, he’s seeing it’s happening in banks already.

Katy 26:09
They’re gonna get rid of appraisals, I 100% believe this. And

Alissa 26:12
I think that it’s going to be problematic. I mean, especially it’s, here’s the thing. There are situations, many situations where human being needs to look at that house. Yeah,

Katy 26:23
I’m almost all of the situation

Alissa 26:27
I had to eat my client, one of my buyers received an email saying that they did not receive an appraisal. So lately, some of my clients who are putting at least 20% down have been receiving appraisal waivers. If

Katy 26:42
you put 20% down, which this makes complete logical sense to me, the bank is releasing some of their liability, right? Yes, you’ve already got enough money in it that surely you’re not buying it for over 20% that

Alissa 26:55
they feel safe. Yeah. And they have a little Zestimate of sorts, that makes them feel right. Like it’s a safe feeling. I’m very sure you have enough money to put down it looks to be in line with the computer will just wave this. Yeah. Well, I just got a different kind of request where the lender said, Hey, we ran it through the automated underwriting system, and it is not waived for a appraisal. But you have the option to pay for an AVM Automated Valuation. Automated value anyway, a basically AI appraisal, where there’s still a fee, but it’s significantly less like 100 bucks, or you could pay the real appraiser 600. And he’ll go out and do the appraisal, but it’s up to you what you want to do.

Katy 27:44
How did this go down?

Alissa 27:46
I think he chose the automated while you had the buyer and I have the buyer. Okay. And I saw the lender emailed him copied me. How

Katy 27:52
did you feel the value came back?

Alissa 27:55
Not yet. We just got this email. Oh, but I think it’ll be fine. But what was your buyer putting down a lot more than 20? Like 25 or 30? So weird that they didn’t waive it completely? Yeah. So that’s why I thought this is a different email. Usually it’s waived or not waived. But now it’s this new option. You know, why have like an automated why there why? Because the bank can make $100 Now,

Katy 28:20
instead of paying an appraiser 600 or paying no one anything because you waive the appraisal? Now banks are like, Well, look, we’ve got this AI let’s just charge him 100 bucks for this. Just another way for the bank to make money. Probably. Yeah. I don’t think it’s needed. Because if he’s putting 25% down, it’s not needed. Why have one at all? Exactly. Can Can I always a completely. I don’t want to pay your BS fee to get a fake appraisal, right.

Alissa 28:47
But my dad, you know, my sister is a nurse, right? Nurses work three days. Her position 312 hour shifts a week is considered full time, right? And then she would pick up extra, but she ended up getting her appraisers license. So she is a nurse, right? And an appraiser with my dad. Okay. And my dad’s always like, I’m so glad she’s still a nurse because I just don’t know what the future holds for appraisers. Yeah. And I’m not quite as worried. But when I got this email, I’m like, I mean, I’m 1,000% Worried about an appraiser. Well, now I would not tell anyone to become an appraiser right now. Right? Yeah, because there’s no way that a banks are gonna continue not because I don’t think they’re valuable. I think it’s just a dumb decision being made to cut out the human and allow a robot to put computer daycare together completely fair.

Katy 29:38
However, that’s also assuming that Realtors don’t know how to price houses and do market values. Do you want to mean like the appraiser is a check and balance to me that’s a little weird. Like as a as a realtor. I did all those market reports. I should have done them well enough that it’d be pretty close to what the appraiser comes back and the

Alissa 29:57
only time I’ve ever called an appraisal offer a listing is when it was just so you have no clue what was so like constable Yes, it was a strange house in a neighborhood that it did not conform to. I knew people were going to question me on how to do price. Yeah, having a form signed by maybe some appraisers

Katy 30:17
will hang around. Yeah, like third party check, or like, maybe they’ll still do like, like the divorce settlements or sessions like they’ll still value property that isn’t,

Alissa 30:30
they just won’t be used as much in a real estate transaction, which is crazy.

Katy 30:35
I think it’s definitely going to happen. Okay, document management systems, you know, cloud based document management systems to store and organize contracts, agreements and other important paperwork. I’m for this.

Alissa 30:47
Yeah. But to me, I’m like, I still have to put it in there. Yeah,

Katy 30:50
I agree. Agree. Agree. Sometimes I feel like that is also combined with your CRM and your transaction management, like there is software that does all of that together. I like that it broke it out, whatever. I mean, I use dot loop. It’s nice to have it there. Sure. We use vi flow. But I will say this dot loop also has some of that functions like transaction management, where I could put in the title office and the lender and all these other information. And I’m like, I don’t have time for this. And also, I’m a little skeptical about how much data we’re giving away. 100. Yeah, like, What are y’all going to now do with this data? How are you going to use it to cut me out? I have a little bit. So

Alissa 31:28
I started talking about that, too, when I realized like, some of my clients were getting emails, not from me, not from things that I set up, but like, some even more like company branded or something. And it’s like, even if your company, your company owns that CRM, yeah. And if it’s not your brokerage company, it is the company that owns the CRM, and you just gave them 500 names, email addresses, addresses. I mean, with as many courses as there are out there about growing your email list. These CRM companies hate them, they know the value of an email, and they you’re giving them all of your email,

Katy 32:11
just just handing them right over. Right? And then all that that’s when people get all up in arms when someone like was it Zillow, to Zillow by showing time, or like dotloop, whatever, whenever one of these companies who maybe you would consider to be your competitor then buys something that you’ve been utilizing like a dot loop or a showingtime or some other and

Alissa 32:31
all of a sudden your clients start getting emails and they swear up and

Katy 32:34
down. Weird. We’re going to keep them separate. We’re not going to use those emails or your data to basically steal

Alissa 32:42
your Yeah,

Katy 32:44
y’all be careful. Okay, next up, automated lead generation. Okay, utilize lead generation tools and platforms to automate the process of capturing and qualifying leads. I will say there are some ways to automate lead generation that I think are probably good like if you have a freebie that you created or some sort of resource for buyers or sellers and then you put out content that you’re in on social media that says, comment, you know, Guide to get my dating guide or or comment weekend to get my list of weekend events for the city. Then you get their email, you can follow up with them how you want. I think that’s a great automation. Yeah, right. Do I think that all automation for lead gen is good? I don’t know. I mean, I’m not gonna go pay Zillow. Sure, right. Next up chatbots chat bots, implement chat bots on your website, y’all. I’m reading directly from what Chad GPT told me. So talk about self preservation. They’re like good idea. Use a chatbot. Implement chat bots on your website or social media channels to handle frequently asked questions, qualify leads and schedule appointments. I am not going to lie. Nothing cracks me up or annoys me more than getting an automated response message. If I DM someone on Instagram. Oh, yeah. Hey, we’re so excited to work with you and we can’t wait to follow up and bloody blah blah blah. I’m like I just said cute cat or what? You know what I mean? Like, this doesn’t make sense.

Alissa 34:13
It doesn’t mean I’m going to work with you. And this automated thing lets me know that.

Katy 34:17
You’re not you don’t regret you’re too busy to talk to me about your cat frein I would have rather wait 24 hours for a response about my DM then get the stupid immediate automated response. Excellent

Alissa 34:28
point. Sometimes I feel bad that I take so long to respond to like a DM or something who

Katy 34:35
cares? But it’s really me.

Alissa 34:37
That’s the thing. It’s really me. Yo,

Katy 34:40
you can use some of these tools like social media or free free and they can grow your business huge and there might be some automations that make sense. Like if you put in the post comment guide to get them then they know or be open. I liked the chat ones that say hey, this is an automated response. Yes, blah, blah, blah. Whatever. Like that is different than just being like, assuming you message me to buy a house. So I don’t know how it happened because I feel like Chelsea said it happened to her to somehow, and I cannot find the setting on my Facebook know, whatever goes to my Facebook page. So who cares. But if someone messages me to my Facebook business page, it sends an automated response. I don’t know how to make it stop. Yeah, I’m like the machines are taking over. And I don’t know how to make them stop auto responding. I don’t like it. So that’s your Chatbot. And also, like, if it pops up on the screen, like on your website, like how busy are you? You can’t be like, email me here. Call me here like, right? Why do I need a chatbot? For people? I’m not Zillow. I’m just not. Anyway. Alright, automated reporting, uses reporting tools to automatically generate performance reports, financial statements, market analysis. I mean, like, if you’re using it for like,

Alissa 35:58
yeah, we have like a automated seller’s report, but I don’t love it. Like while they’re on the market. Yeah, it’ll do like a zip code. And I’m like, well, that’s not how do you know how many different neighborhoods there are in the zip code? You cannot compare them all? Not helpful. Same with the, you know, computer replacing an appraiser. I’m like, these are not the same product of house, right? You can’t use this as a comparable.

Katy 36:19
I know, last one from our friend, task, automation of automate repetitive tasks, such as data entry appointment reminders, or listing updates using task management tools, or virtual assistants. I mean, those are still people. Yeah. It’s not a software like I don’t even know what a task management tool is. That’s gonna do listing updates. Hmm, I’m not sure what that means. I don’t know what that means. Okay, what else you got? That was that was it from Chad GPT. And it’s self preservation list.

Alissa 36:55
Yeah, I just think at the end of the day, I don’t mind working. Right. I like to work. But I think

Katy 37:03
when we over automate, we also I think, we can feel our value slipping away, like a machine did all this like, Yeah, you didn’t even need me. I’ve used chat GPT. Before to write my listing description I actually keep doing is really great. Because I can put in the seller top 10 I can tell it a couple of details. And then it’ll make the words Yeah, in the tone of whatever I tell it to make them.

Alissa 37:30
But I still tell the seller. Yeah. You’re still inputting every I’m

Katy 37:34
like, Hey, I use chat. GPT for this, I think it came out good. Let me know what you think you’re not going to be mad that I use. They’re not gonna be mad that I use a tool. No, but I think sometimes it’s obvious. Like I’ll read listing description. I’m like, Well, thanks, Chad. GPG.

Alissa 37:51
Right. You told me nothing about this house. You told me about every three bedroom, two bath house right in the world. Mm hmm. That could be talked about.

Katy 37:59
But take the I always take it and then I added it. Make it sound like me make it sound less like a machine. It’s a great tool tools. I think you can use tools without them having to be all the way from Easy Button Status. Like Couldn’t we just use them as tools as tools? I read an article that I want to give you some information on. Well, actually, let me start with this one really quickly. Seattle based brokerage Redfin has launched its artificial intelligence powered home search assistant, ask Redfin nationwide. Are you ready? Homebuyers using red fins? Apple app will automatically see ask Redfin on the home’s listing page. After completing a quick update. Homebuyers can ask questions to ask Redfin about listing details zoning limitations, homeowners association or condo fees upcoming open houses one on one touring availability, local market conditions and trends nearby amenities and a host of other questions related to home buying.

Alissa 38:57
Okay,

Katy 38:58
if the question requires a more nuanced answer, then ask Redfin can provide what then what ask Redfin can provide the assistant can immediately contact buyers with a licensed real estate agents.

Alissa 39:13
That’s the end game here. So they’re using this lore of not having to talk to a person Yeah, to get them to a realtor that

Katy 39:22
that Redfin will then get paid when that realtor sells the house. So and that’s

Alissa 39:26
tricky, because you know, we tell our clients and our buyer consultations, listen, I am your agent, so don’t call other agents don’t click Schedule a tour, but they think oh, well I can just ask the question here. How much is this condo slippery

Katy 39:41
slope before you know it? You’re at the front door with some man you never heard before telling you that he has to sell you the house.

Alissa 39:48
Yeah, just like my story and

Katy 39:50
mine. I know. Okay, now, on the other flip of that coin, I read an amazing article by my favorite country. tributed to Edmund Jimmy Burgess. Jimmy is so smart. Yeah. And he gave us a whole way to use chat GPT in preparation for your listing appointment like if you’re going on a listing interview, he’s giving you the steps to take to use Chad GBT to win the listing. Okay, it’s great. Basically, he’s going to help you prepare a listing listing presentation folder that shows how you plan to get their home sold at the highest price in the least amount of time using our friend Chad JBD. I will say he isn’t coming at it from a pricing angle. This is all about marketing. Okay. Step one, prepare three MLS descriptions before you arrive at the listing appointment. Okay, so it says you can use an old if it’s been listed before you can use an old description or just get enough details I guess from an idea Wait, listen to the prompt. I’m gonna tell you exactly what he typed in. Please to chat GBT, this is what he said to chat GPT and I did here if you say please, and thank you it doesn’t matter. It’s true. Please ask act as an expert real estate. Act as an expert real estate copywriter specializing in writing MLS descriptions that encourage readers to schedule a showing of the home after reading the MLS description, please rewrite the following MLS description in a way that is new, fresh and different from this one paste in the old description. Or please act as an expert real estate copywriter doing blah blah blah. Please write an MLS for a home with the following amenities then you just list like if you don’t have the old one. Okay, now he says at the end of that it’s gonna it’s gonna give you a description, print. Okay, set it aside. Set it aside. Next problem, please rewrite the MLS description that just bring it in a more professional tone, or whatever tone you feel is appropriate for the home.

Alissa 41:58
Print upscale or Yeah,

Katy 42:00
well hold on, hit print. Okay, now we have two descriptions. Next prop. Please rewrite this MLS MLS description in a more luxury tone, or again, whatever tone you feel is appropriate for the home print. Tell the seller, I went ahead and put together three different potential MLS descriptions for your home. I did this because if I were you, I would want to see how my home will be marketed in a way to grab the prospective buyers attention. These three different descriptions are written in three different tones. One is in a professional tone, one is in a luxury tone, and one is in a more conversational tone. I’d love for you to read over these to see if there are any features I left out that should be highlighted and to see which of these styles of writing stands out to you. The reason I want your opinion is because the ideal buyer for your home will likely be someone like you and they will fall in love with this home the same way you did when you bought the home. That’s great. So by presenting the home in a way that you like best odds are we will be providing the details in a way that our ideal buyer will find inviting as well. Like

Alissa 43:07
you bought this house one time you liked the luxury description. So somebody like you is gonna buy the house maybe and would like the luxury description,

Katy 43:16
then we pick that one. Okay, we’re not done yet. Okay, that was step one MLS descriptions. Step two is prepare an Instagram post announcing the home as a new listing. And here’s what the prompt is for chat GPT please convert the listing description above. Alright, so we’ve just done this to an S E O, which means search engine optimization, optimized Instagram post announcing this home as a new listing available in your city area with a strong call to action to reach out for additional details or to schedule a showing. Okay, so now chat GPT is going to give us the prompt. Okay, now you’re going to read it. This is where work comes in, you’re going to read it ensure that ensure that it’s in your words like you like these words, and then it’s compliant. Okay, add three photos, you just basically make a sample, copy the post and put it on a separate page with the title at the top that says Instagram optimized new listing post, print Add to Folder. I’m not going to go through every one but step three is create a Facebook post announcing the home okay print in the folder, create a LinkedIn blog post print in the folder, create a YouTube short video clip. So we’ll basically show them the script of how we’re going to like do their YouTube short video. And then And then last ask for 25 unique ways to market the home to chat GPT we’re asking now we’re going to choose the ones we want and make a list and title it unique ways we will market your home as

Alissa 44:47
it’s like don’t use all 25 use what works for you and what you’ll actually do, what will you do? Okay, so I thought that was a great article. It’s amazing. Like if you showed

Katy 44:59
up with that listing presentation, even if you told them that you, you should tell them that you use AI to help make sure it was the best it could be. You will blow everyone else out of the water. I

Alissa 45:13
have a listing interview tomorrow.

Katy 45:15
Do you want to do all this? Yeah, it

Alissa 45:16
might be a fun little experiment. Let’s do and it’s one that expired. Great. So

Katy 45:21
we have a description? Yes, let’s do all of this. Okay. And my last comment on this was just even with all of this AI generated content, you have to know what to ask AI to do. And you need to know how to present it to the seller. So tools, there are tools, right? We want tools, but we can’t really good. You can’t automate you. But tools are good. Anything else?

Alissa 45:46
This was good.

Katy 45:47
Did you accomplish what you wanted to in this chat?

Alissa 45:50
I feel like I learned a lot. Great. I know. I’m just so much good information. And I feel like this is such a trend. And AR has been a trend in our industry for a while along. But with AI, it is only getting more aggressive. Yeah. And I think just like things such as ibuyer, we are going to see people try all sorts of things that are short lived. Yeah. So be very careful what you’re buying into. If you’re thinking about automating something and you see a new thing, maybe let it run its course for six months before you buy in and start using it.

Katy 46:28
Yeah. And maybe also think about all the chess moves. And not just how’s it helping you right now? What happens to the information you give the machine what’s going to happen if you stop using them? Like what happens in a few years if the market changed, like think it all the way through not just right now. And also remember setting this stuff up is work to so much work. So would you rather do the work work or do the work to set up the automation?

Alissa 46:54
Either way you’re going to work work have to work if you’re trying to make money you have to work. Alright,

Katy 46:58
are you ready for a toast? Yes, this toast comes from Nova tower and she’s going to types to waypoint brokers collected Do you remember meeting Nova? Let me see sheet Why don’t have her picture right here. But oh, yeah, I remember she was she was great. Okay, so here’s your toast and go forth to be goodbye.

Speaker 1 47:15
My name is Nova tower. I’m a broker and partner at waypoint brokers collective in Portland, Maine. And I want to toast to my business partners, my crew, my squad, my people at waypoint. You know, we’re kind of in this uncertain market and there’s so many things happening at the national level that are potentially going to change our industry and the year or two ahead. Technology. It’s coming for us there’s so much to be anxious about. But you guys your professionalism, your excellence, your support, your sense of humor, your energy. You guys keep me level you guys keep me positive and I freaking love you. Cheers.

Alissa 48:03
Thank you so much for tuning in to the hustle humbly podcast.

Katy 48:07
If you enjoy this episode, please go to rate this podcast.com/hustle humbly and leave us a review or drop a comment if you’re listening on Spotify.

Alissa 48:15
If you have an episode topic or someone you’d like to toast on the show, please email us at team at hustle humbly podcast.com

Katy 48:22
Find us on social media at hustle humbly podcast. Don’t forget to find all the free resources at hustle humbly podcast.com/resources See you next week.