Consistency, persistence and attention to detail – the keys to success.

I recently read this article at http://www.realtor.org/rmobrokers/articles/2008/brokersnicheplayers0708 which I thought was fantastic. It so simply demonstrates many of the core benefits of implementing software into a real estate agency – consistency and detail. The author Robert Freedman refers to consistency, persistence and attention to detail as being ways for a small agency to complete against larger competitors. This is certainly the case, although every business, large or small, should be trying to adhere to these ideals.

In our business we talk about ‘sophisticated users’. These are not necessarily large or small businesses, but they are businesses that see that technology can give them a competitive advantage and are prepared to invest the resources to make it happen. It is very important that real estate agencies understand that these two items are intimately connected. Getting the very best software solution is the start, but you then need to ensure that you use it. Smart operators know that every day they need to be reviewing and pushing the boundaries of what they can get from their software. This can be frustrating, as in some cases the software will simply not be able to do what is asked of it, however this is where a great relationship with your software vendor comes into play. This is when a phone call to your software vendor with some gentle suggestions on improvements to the software is warranted.

We love these phone calls in our business. This is when we get a better understanding of what our software can or can not do. It is an opportunity for us to make our software better, and after all, that is what we are all about. The satifaction we get is from knowing that our software is making a real difference in the lives of our clients and their staff.

To ensure that we respond to customer requests as quickly as possible, Brightfox provides Software Assurance with foxEnterprise, our leading software. This enables our clients to upgrade to the latest release which occurs every 3 months. These regular releases give us the opportunity to rapidly release new functionality to our clients, rather than having to wait 1 to 2 years for the next major upgrade which is the norm in the software industry of course.