How so, you ask?
Well, let me tell you how. You see, for over two decades now, the influence of our traditional mainstream media – what we call print, radio, and TV – has been waning. Commensurate with this has been the ever-increasing rise and influence of social media in its varying forms, TikTok being the latest.
However, as we have witnessed at various moments in recent history, gone are the days of agenda-setting, gatekeeping, fact over fiction, objectivity, research, and information gathering, and most importantly, our trust in the media’s role as arbiters of truth.
Instead, we are now exposed to a tsunami of post-truths, alternative facts, confirmation bias, fake news, and news 3.0. It’s enough to give us all more than just one headache – when all we want and need is reliable, dependable news coverage, now sadly known as “Covfefe”??
Thankfully, saner times might be returning. What hasn’t though, is the public’s trust in information. And this is where, you as a Realtor can fill a big gap. For you, knowledge and information come naturally and are currency. And when used and applied correctly, knowledge and information can help you build rapport, trust, and engagement with home buyers and sellers.
You see, the fact of the matter is that since mid-2007, smart devices have empowered today’s citizen, who is now armed with more knowledge and information than at any other point in history. Yet, all this information can leave the public (your clients and prospects) overwhelmed, needing help navigating, deciphering, and analyzing the plethora of information in order to make informed choices.
Did you know that research has shown smartphone use takes the same cognitive toll as losing a full night’s sleep?? One report found the human attention span had shrunk from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013 – one second below that of a goldfish!!!
This doesn’t mean you need to become a know-it-all. Rather, you can apply the skills that reporters normally learn in journalism school, to help your clients and prospects. This includes everything from sourcing information; analyzing, digesting, and synthesizing information for today’s 140-character culture; getting the facts right; focusing on objectivity and accuracy; and most importantly, using facts and data such as what the Board and your MLS® provide to you.
Employing these skills will enable you to become curators of real estate information as well as trusted guides across the omni-channel environment, providing real value to prospects and clients.
There’s a unique opportunity here for Realtors to distinguish themselves and be perceived differently, which has to do with Boolean search skills, and driving better digestion, analysis and understanding of information. Knowledge is power indeed.
Now, isn’t that better than just being a passive observer of history?
Source: FVREB Communications