Nerang First National has just completed a major upgrade to our network and company servers. Â Technology plays a very important role in our agency and we are considered by many to be one of the real estate industry’s leading innovators regarding technology in Australia. We are extremely proud that procedures, policies, systems and software that we developed in house are now in operation right through Australia in hundreds of offices including all the major real estate groups.
The upgrade included the installation of two new servers featuring the just released Microsoft Small Business Server 2008 Premium edition. This edition offers improved functionality, speed and performance over previous editions and Nerang First National engaged the expert team at IT Leaders to design, build and implement the new network including migration of the existing client and property databases, CRM systems and other software packages.
The nearly $30,000 investment in computer hardware leverages the recent installation of a $40,000+ Cisco Integrated Services Router which handles voice, data and video networking throughout the office.
But Real Estate is a service industry and so at the end of the day it is really how these new systems allow us to better service our clients and customers.
Computers allow us to share information and collaborate in real time and the latest version of the company intranet is built on Microsoft Sharepoint technology which allows increased productivity in the workplace by all sales, property management and administration team members. Â Increased productivity produces better results for our clients.
Sometimes its the simple things like improved communication. We don’t have internal paper forms in the office as all forms completed digitally. In fact we dont even have telephone messages pads as we run the latest Jabber Instant Messaging System in the office allowing team members to send messages, transfer files and share information in a secure environment.  Vital messages are never jotted down on scraps of paper to be misplaced and all messages are logged for future retrival.
The intranet is the central information hub in the office and policies, clauses, annexures, procedures, manuals, photographs, adverts, window cards and much much more are kept on the intranet for quick and immediate access by all staff. Even proofing all advertising throughout the office these days is a totally digital process now so there is no more scribbled notes in the margins or handwriting to decipher.
All salespeople have their own direct phone number and voicemail of course, but like most successfull salespeople they spend much of their time out of the office. Should they receive a call on their office phone and they are not in the office to take it the voicemail can be forwarded automatically to their home email or even their mobile phone.
Microsoft SBS 2008 also provides the latest version of Remote Web Workspace which provides staff members with remote access to the company intranet, office voicemail, email, appointments, tasks no matter which computer they use or where they are located. Â Salespeople can securely access this information from their mobile phones, laptops, home computer or even a clients own desktop computer. In fact a salesperson can even remotely access and operate their desktop computer from any location in the world should it be necessary.
The sales team are even using wireless broadband on their own laptops and tablets to maintain a secure virtual private network connection to the office no matter where they are. This allows salespeople full access to all agency resources on the office network just as though they were sitting at their desk. They can proof adverts with a client sitting on their lounge, conduct buyer demand report from our office database live as they inspect a new appraisal, finalise seller inspection feedback right as the inspection happens and even complete and print a contract in the middle of an open house.
Technology will never replace the real estate agent, but a real estate agency that embraces and masters technology will quickly replace those that don’t.
Nerang First National would like to thank IT Leaders for their exceptional service throughout the process and would highly recommend them if you are looking to upgrade your business network. The installation came in on budget, is performing beautifully as planned and continues to keep the team at Nerang First National ahead of the pack.
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Tagged: computers, IT, IT Leaders, servers
