Sometimes, it seems there are hundreds of “communications solutions” available out there for business (and not just title agents). “End-to-end” solutions. “Best-in-class” solutions. “Universal” or “global” solutions. They come advertised as a way to bring “all interested parties to the table.” They promise secure, no-frills, easy-to-use means of communication among lenders, real estate agents, title agents, buyers, sellers, even appraisers.
But why does it seem that they almost always require you to download an app or bookmark a website to actually use the simple solution? Or worse, force you to try to convince a client, that client’s client or even an almost disinterested party to download an app or check a website—even if your agency has exactly one file open with them?
It doesn’t matter how amazing the solution is if no one wants the inconvenience of having to take extra steps for the “convenience.” Real estate agents, appraisers, loan officers…they’ve all got dozens (or hundreds) of clients. Each transaction comes with its own host of title agencies, lenders, buyers and sellers. To expect the other professionals and parties involved in each of your transactions to open up a separate program, window or app just to deal with you—perhaps one of dozens of title companies they deal with daily—seems a little haughty. At the very least, it’s impractical, especially considering they’re probably logging into about 8 other apps or websites to service the same transaction.
That’s why Alanna uses the same means of communicating that most REALTORS or clients use when they want to communicate. Good, old-fashioned (ok—maybe not that old-fashioned) SMS text or web chat. When it comes to dealing with the title or closing company, everyone—even the title company itself—wants to do it quickly and effectively. Usually, that doesn’t involve logging into a web site, waiting for an authentication code and then sending or reading a message.
In other aspects of your life, when you want a quick bite of information or to send a short message, what do you do? Do you hop on LinkedIn? Send an email? Make a call? One upon a time, maybe. In 2021? Unless you’re under 16 and prefer SnapChat, you probably send a text. The same is increasingly true for real estate professionals and their clients.
If the point of a “communications solution” is to solve, presumably, a communications problem (lots of parties needing to exchange information; a time crunch in a race to close; the inefficiency of email, fax and courier pigeon), doesn’t it make sense to use a medium that’s, well….easy to use and universally accepted?