The Bot and The Human...

It’s been a great week! So much has been jammed packed into the week, I cannot quite believe it has only consisted of 5 days, and well really as I write this – I’m only just embarking on the 5th.

You’d be forgiven for assuming I’ve got a lot done and I am feeling so pumped as a result of my achievements, in fact it’s not what I have got done that has created the ‘jam packedness’ it’s the learning.

Across the week I’ve discovered “the bot” which led me to think a little more deeply about “the human” in this crazy world of a service based business, there is a light when it comes to the disruption tunnel. It’s time to start thinking.

“The Bot”

I knew that robots existed, but my oh my do they exist. These things are getting so advanced they are now able to teach themselves by watching us! According to Neale Cotton (speaker at the recent REB Technology conference) production of robots is now at a point where for some industries, the cost of a Robot less than that of a human wage is for a year.  

Neale showcased a variety of examples on how robots are already here. Think about it, self-drive cars? They are a robot taking you to a destination. Robot technology is so advanced they are even entering the space of creativity, the one area we believe to be a human traits. Robots are being programme to paint, and even write poetry.

Take a test and see if you can tell the difference between a poem written by a robot and a human at botpoet.com

Whilst I have no doubt we are not quite ready to create the R2D2 Property Manager or Real Estate Agent, there are elements that are close by. Consider for a moment a self-drive car,  it arrives at the workplace of a prospective purchaser, drives them to an available property, the front door opens on arrival via a geo tracker in their phone, when finished, the door auto locks behind them and the car drops them back to work. Now that’s not such a crazy idea!

"The Human"

Over the next few months you’re going to hear a lot about what it is “to serve”, what it is “to connect” from me, and how important it is to get better and both.  The bold reality is that with the advancement of technology, and believe me it will continue to advance, forget “combating” the tech disruption. There will be a point, in a week, a year, a decade, (you don’t know as tech comes from Silicon Valley or two kids in the garage of the house next door) where a property owner and a tenant / purchaser will come together to transact online. It will be a serious player in our market and will be here to stay. The first company to do it may not get it right, but someone will.

The good news is, when it happens, there will still be a place for the human, and the buying decision between tech and people will come down to connection and service.  Of course the market will contract in some way, the decision that you make now is do you want to be the contracted.

So what will keep a client with you, with an agent when technology is available? Well perhaps it’s the same thing that keeps someone going to the supermarket when you can order online, or visiting the Doctor for a routine prescription even though you can logon and download one yourself, its relationship, and its connection.

Your emotional investment into your client and their life will be of paramount importance in the decision making process to stay local v go tech for the consumer. For you this means developing a strong client relationship, gaining a true connection, providing another layer of service. It’s about really, I mean really caring about the consumer.

Right now, it’s time to start thinking. Thinking about the relationships you have with your clients, I mean the real relationships. The relationship that will be more important than technology, the one that provides a different true human connection and care, the value that could not be replaced by a “bot”.

Fiona Blayney
Managing Director Real+

email: fiona@realplus.com.au