Real Estate organizations spend significant time each year evaluating solutions, whether that’s to onboard new products or to decide if current tech tools are worth keeping. But how do you determine which technology product is best for your users? The answer to that may be deceptively simple: it’s the one that they’ll use.
Overly complicated platforms that are difficult to learn or use are likely to result in a low adoption rate — and, therefore, money wasted for your organization. That’s why it’s crucial to evaluate the user experience each product offers. It’s important to have an interface that is simple and unintimidating, and where the learning curve is low.
So how do you determine the quality of a platform’s user experience? Here are a few things to consider when selecting potential technology partners:
Is the interface easy to use?
Real estate is a fast-paced business, and agents and brokers may not have the time — or desire — to learn something new. That’s why the product’s interface must be easy to use right “out of the box”, and it needs to easily integrate into a user’s existing workflow. It’s important that technology companies rigorously test their features to ensure they’re easy to use, that they offer inclusive features, and that they can guarantee ease-of-use for practitioners of diverse backgrounds and abilities.
Reports should be easy to create, customize and understand
Often, default reports show everything that a customer could want to know. However, that is often too much information. Reports should be able to have filters applied, hiding unnecessary information.
Robust features are a must when selecting new products
Even on the easiest of tech platforms, users are still likely to have questions or need guidance. For example, CRS Data, creator of property data tool MLS Tax Suite offers multiple methods to help users understand and make the most of their product:
In-app guidance
MLS Tax Suite is easy to use, but it enables users to do complex things — and sometimes users need a little help along the way. That’s why the platform offers assistance right in the app in the form of step-by-step walkthroughs, hover-over tool tips and easy-to-access training materials.
Live and help desk support
Oftentimes agents prefer talking to someone to get help, rather than learning on their own. This allows for a quicker answer to questions that may arise when using the product.
Product tutorial videos
Real estate is not a 9-to-5 job. Not every agent can attend an in-person training or webinar, and sometimes they may have a question after regular business hours or in between client meetings. Tutorial videos are a convenient option that allows users to find answers, no matter the time of day or night.
To learn how a user-friendly platform can benefit your members, visit https://www.crsdata.com/.
