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Lindsay Hall worked in corporate technology sales and marketing for 15 years before transitioning to a career in real estate. When the pandemic hit and the industry came to a standstill, she decided to use the time to earn her smart home certification.
said Hall, co-founder of Ink Properties in Greenville, South Carolina. “I was wondering what I could do, so I picked something from my background and made it related to real estate,” he says. Make your life better. ”
Through her certifications and ongoing research, she teaches home buyers and sellers how a home can be certified as a smart home by simply adding simple technological features.
Smart Home Certification Overview
Smart Home Certification was launched to help real estate professionals become experts in technologically advanced homes, a growing trend in the housing industry. The 12-hour certification provides practitioners with the information they need about smart home technology, its economic and environmental impact, and more. It cost $125.
Since the launch of Smart Home Certification, approximately 740 agencies across the country have initiated Smart Home Certification. However, only 358 students, or about 47%, who started the class earned the certification, according to the Council on Housing and Real Estate (formerly Council of Housing Professionals (CRS)).
“We often hear from real estate professionals that they didn't know much about technology, but are so glad they enrolled in a class,” says Kim Cameron, CRS, instructor of smart home certifications in many areas. says Mr. state. She is a broker associate with her Kim Cameron Group at Better Homes & Garden Real Estate Preferred Properties in St. Louis.
She points out that smart home features are becoming more mainstream by the day. Thanks to builders and remodelers, smart homes have become mainstream.
“They're introducing temperature and light control so you can do everything from your smartphone. Blinds are automated. Security systems are becoming easier and cheaper, everything can be done at the push of a button. becomes easier.”
She divides the course into segments to make it understandable to any practitioner.
“For 10 years, many homes have been equipped with Google Nest camera doorbells,” she comments. “But I've never had a chance to talk to them about smart homes at a listing meeting.” “And there are only a handful of MLSs where you can click a button to indicate that your home is a smart home.”
According to the course, a smart home is a residence that is equipped with connected products that connect via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or similar protocols. This protocol controls and automates several home functions such as lighting, security, and temperature. Homeowners can customize and control features, usually through an app or computer. To be considered a true smart home on the market, a home must have at least two additional smart home features in addition to internet connectivity and either a security device or a temperature control device.
How certification can strengthen your business
Cameron believes that adding the words “smart home” to real estate signage, social media pages, and websites can garner attention that real estate agents don't receive. People who are tech-savvy or environmentally conscious will be drawn to someone with certifications. General curiosity may also play a role. In either case, Cameron says agencies need to make sure potential clients understand the value of certification.
She has a script that she teaches to her students on how to talk to potential customers about smart homes. She says her confidence and knowledge are important when passing on information.
Earning a certification sets real estate professionals apart as experts in a growing niche market. Those who obtain the certificate have a ready-made toolkit available to promote themselves, and obtaining the certificate earns credit toward the CRS designation.
We will help you build a smart home
For Cameron, the process of deciding on a smart home starts with the driveway.
“I immediately see a camera doorbell. I start telling my clients that I noticed they have a NEST doorbell,” she says. “You explain to them that they have a smart home, or could have a smart home with some adjustments, and how you explain that when they (list) their home. Tell them (again) how they can use it to their advantage.”
Hall found that the larger the house, the greater the potential for automation.
“I’m not going to talk about smart homes by saving money,” she says. “I value the big picture. Smart home technology does cost money, but not as much as some people think.”
Hall believes in discussing with clients the smart home features that make sense for them based on their needs. For example, blinds may be an expensive expense, but if the customer wants blinds, there are ways to reduce costs.
“We don't recommend putting it on every window,” says Hall. “I try to talk about how long they will live there. Most people want a smart home, but most people don't call it a smart home.”
This certification means that real estate professionals understand the ins and outs of making a home a smart home, and communicating this information to clients is invaluable. For example, home appliances, entertainment, and technology such as automatic vacuum cleaners may not capture their attention.
“There are endless scenarios in which we can help clients,” she says.