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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, November 24, 1998 - RE5 Balancing customer service and technology by DON LAWBY Picture this: From the comfort of an armchair in your Realtor's office you take a "virtual reali- ty" tour of a property that meets the criteria of the new home you want to buy. You check out the closet space, admire the view from the sun deck, and pace out the size of the dining room to see if your fumiture will fit. It's the 10th house you've viewed in the past two hours from the data bank in the Realtor's computer and you decide it's worth a visit in pérson. True to the detail on the virtual tour, it's your dream home. Sitting in the den, you e-mail a conditional offer using a cell phone and your Realtor's lap top. Acceptance comes back almost immediately. Then it's back to the real estate office armchair while your broker sits down at a computer to deal with the transaction. An application for mortgage finance is fired off, following a quick on-line search for the day's best rates; lawyers are contacted to take care of the legal issues; a home inspection com- pany is commissioned to check out the house; municipal records are accessed to review future development plans for the neighbourhood; a moving company is booked for the date of your move; orders are placed for phones, cable and utilities; painting contractors are e-mailed and asked for quotes on redecorating work you want donc before the move; insurance is secured for the house and contents so that you are covered from the minute you move in. All the tim-con- suming chores of moving home are taken care of in one stop. You sign a package of papers and leave with nothing more on your mind than how best to configure the furniture in your new living room. This scenario is not a far-fetched as it may seem. Much of the technology to make it possi- ble is already available and being implemented by progressive real estate companies across North america. How we cope with the demands of a technologically advanced, customer-driven market is th ubiggest challenge facing our indus- try. It will determine who succeeds and who fails. In many cases customers who will transact the first deals of the 21st century are already investi- gating the market. By the time they decide what to buy or sell, they are likely to be better informed and more demanding than any clients in the history of our industry. This is due largely to the technology revolution that is providing people with rapid access to vast amounts of information about real estate. Although I believe our success will ultimately be determined by nothing more complex than old-fashioned professionalism and dedication to providing top-quality customer service, we need to complement our service orientation with tech- nology, education, skill and financial resources. Technology allows real estate companies to put their customers at the cutting edge of the market, but those companies must be large enough to generate the economies of scale that make the investment in technology cost effec- tive. It is essential to keep ahead of our customers' demands for increasingly knowledgeable real estate professionals and excellent service. Time starved buyers will increasingly demand the con- venience of one-stop-service. They will want to access a full range of ser- vices related to their home purchase through one location--their Realtors' office. These are service areas where real estate companies will be able to recover revenue when, inevitably, there is a reduction in current levels of commissions. But these are not the only challenges facing the Canadian real estate industry. The way we are organized and the technologies we share are crying out for change. For a start, we need an MLS system that allows Realtors in any part of the country to pro- vide their cuistomersý with the informnation thecy need on any region in Canada. Currently, there are a number of databases for listings in different regions. This means, for example, a Realtor in Halifax cannot easily access the database of information on the Calgary market. This undermines our objective to provide the quick and efficient ser- vice that customers expect. We need a single MLS database providing quick and efficient access to information. It's also time that organized real estate in Canada became truly organized and not split between rival associationis, eachOl tlttiing to pno tect its own territory. This duplication, coupled with an excess of real estate boards, contributes to a cost spiral that the industry simply cannot afford, and which contributes nothing to the quality of service we provide to our customers. In summary, it's time for positive change. It's time to achieve the right balance between cus- tomer service and technology, and it's time to create the industry infrastructure that will allow us to flourish and prosper. Sponsors are desperately needed By Kirsten Nielsen (NC)-I'm at ground zero, capturing CCFC's first steps at two new development projects in Northem Ghana for the new CCFC television show. This is when the situation is most dire - before sponsorship makes a dif- ference. The poverty here is more oppressive than the heat. Many children are refugees from eth- nic conflict. What school facili- ties they have are extremely primitive. There are no text- books, pencils or books. At the first project, in Zogu, the school roof is collapsing. At the second project in Gumani, there is no roof. In fact, there is no latrine. (Children are forced to relieve themselves in an over- grown field infested with snakes. Many are bitten.) For now there is no safe drinking water anywhere in the village. At any one time up to a third of the children are infected with Guinea worm: a parasite that la: river. When a per water, the eggs1 parasite grows in for up to 9 moi grow as long Watching a wom is horrific. The pi tion is so great, and nurses refuse Exit wounds fi untreated and bec Everywhere I li fering. But afte the shock of such ty, I soon begin, thing else too.1 safe drinking water will end the Guinea worm infesta- tion. A simple latrine will pre- ChrbtioncMren'srFdofcanada vent snake bites. And chil- ys eggs in the dren are desperate to learn. son drinksthe When I asked 10 year old hatch and the Rafiah wby getting a proper side the body school room with books and nths. Worms supplies was important to ber, as 2 feet. she replied, "So I can be some- iexit the body body. arasite infesta- 1 know the children and their many doctors families will work bard to to work here. escape poverty. AIl tbey need is requently go a few dollars a montb to help ome infected. them get some safe water, basic ook I see suf- medical supplies, and the r overcoming school materials they need to h abject pover- learn. Will you be tbe one to to see some- make a difference for tbem? Hope. Clean, -News Canada INCOME POTENTIAL Rural prop- No down payment, erty on one no problem! Caîl acre of land. Tony Vidiri for more F i n i s h e d details. 3 bedroom baseme nt townhouseinanice with separate entrance. Call Tony for more complex.$125,9w. details. $279,dts br COUNTRY BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Store with apartment on second floor. Retail area is equipped with walk-in freezer, commercial sink and shelving in kitchen area, 200 amp upgrade, alarm system, 1 pc. washroom in shop area. Well bas been upgraded. Three bedroom apart- ment features 5 pc. bath, family room and more. Call Domenic or Joe for more info. $199,900. INDUSTRIAL UNITS FOR SALE Main Street location, grade level door, $79,900 Call James Snow or Joe Manchisi.