Do you remember playing the telephone game as a child? The simple concept of a phrase being quietly whispered to the person next to you, until the final person reveals what they were told. Everyone then gets a good laugh hearing how the sentence differed from the original. While the game showed the humor in how the phrase was changed, it also showed how simple it is for people to have miscommunication.
Today we live in a world with more communication avenues than ever. The simple telephone has been equipped with e-mail, text, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook...just to name a few. These various forms of communication can use a multitude of means above and beyond just words including images, video and emojis.
Communication in real estate has always been essential in the coordination of information and documentation to multiple individuals. A real estate agent may correspond with their buyer/seller, buyer/seller’s agent, showing company, broker-in-charge, closing coordinator, mortgage lender, attorney, inspector, appraiser, contractor and more. Can you see the telephone game developing?
This ever-changing world of communication creates a need to manage the correspondence. Almost every agent uses e-mail at some point during a transaction to discuss urgent matters or send documents. More and more realtors are now texting throughout the process as well. All of this helps to create efficiency in getting essential information to all parties.
The double-edged sword to this communication is the possibility of things being lost in translation. There are many times when an e-mail is construed the wrong way. Was the context humor or contention? Is the person using sarcasm or being condescending? It can be even more difficult to determine context in text messages where the communication is more abrupt. When misunderstandings in a real estate transaction occur, it can quickly fester to the point where parties become disengaged in the original goal of buying and selling a piece of property.
Despite amazing technological advancements, they have still not overcome the value of face-to-face or verbal communication. The ability to talk with someone, see expressions, hear tone and interact in the discussion cannot be outdone by technology. Thankfully, we also have technology that make this type of communication more accessible including video conferencing, FaceTime and Skype. Even if an in-person conversation is not possible, verbal communication still gives the listener the ability to hear tone and interact accordingly.
William Means agents know the undeniable value of face-to-face and verbal communication. While at times some of the communication may be a text or e-mail, true communication must be verbal or face to face. This may all seem obvious but I can assure you, just as society is moving to indirect forms of communication, many real estate agents are following. When it comes to buying or selling a home, one of the most important decisions of your life, there should be no question the communication is loud and clear.
