Richard Du, Agorafy, Inc.

Digital branding and on-line visibility is increasing important for today’s real estate professionals. Whether you are looking to attract buyers or sellers, landlords or tenants, or simply get recognized and appeal to stakeholders throughout the real estate lifecycle, the Internet is central to gaining visibility and increasing business opportunities.

Modern real estate searchers now rely on the Internet first for information and property details.  House hunters and businesses turn to their web-enabled devices to browse real estate photos, media, details, and find pertinent information on their next new home, office, retail location, investment and real estate professional. These micro-moments can happen anytime, from anywhere.

Now, more than ever, mobile is at the heart of the global economy. Consumers and professionals rely on their mobile devices to work better, faster, and smarter. Regularly, we look to our phones and tablets to find answers to simple questions and  increasingly, to more complicated life events, involving topics like health, finance, and real estate.  We also use our mobile devices to purchase goods, services, and to communicate quickly with family, friends, and colleagues to speed the way we live and conduct business.

Consequently, our businesses need to adapt to the changing digital landscape. A good example may be tech giant Google. This month, Google blogged about changing its logo and refocusing the company’s brand identify to align with the reality that mobile is now at the center of the digital world. In announcing a new logo and identity family, Google acknowledges and embraces the fact that its users now access search “across many different platforms, apps and devices…” Google explains that the change reflects this new reality and “shows you when the Google magic is working for you, even on the tiniest screens.” See the entire post at http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2015/09/google-update.html.

So why is Google’s decision relevant to real estate professionals? Well, first and foremost, Google’s actions highlight the importance of evolving in today’s mobile-first world.

Google is a global technology leader. At the time of this writing, Google’s market cap was well over $400 billion. Yet, Larry Page, Sergey Brin et al refuse to stagnate. Google acknowledges the data, embraces the mobile trend and, even after 17 years of success, continues to work to adapt to modern business practices and consumer habits.  And we can follow Google’s lead in the real estate industry. The real estate profession can continue to embrace new technology, and integrate mobile technology and applications into our daily routines. Whether we have been in business for one year or 50 years, grossed millions or are still seeking that first commission check, there is always room to innovate, evaluate, and evolve. Real estate technology allows us to harness new tools, reach more clients, gain efficiencies, and stay ahead of the curve.

At Agorafy, we are here to work with the real estate community – on-line and offline – to generate more business, solidify relationships, and elevate professionals. Our team is working to build a new, modern online real estate marketplace based in the shared values of better technology, transparency, and improved data. We are constructing a home for NYC’s real estate community - an elegant, mobile-enabled, user-friendly platform that seamlessly connects real estate stakeholders from across the web. A virtual marketplace built to accommodate users from the real estate industry and the public, alike.

With Agorafy, you can search, market, research and connect, all around real estate. Quickly search and filter commercial, residential, and investment sales properties in NYC’s five boroughs. Showcase buildings, property listings, assignments, as well as your company brand and professional expertise. Find available properties, research market conditions, and review detailed property information. Then, use our tools to connect with interested parties and direct contacts from any web-enabled device. Check out agorafy.com and test out the new “Agorafy New York Real Estate” App, which is available for download free on iOS and Android at the App Store and Google Play.

Richard Du is the founder and CEO of Agorafy, New York, N.Y.