Rohan Shah is the co-founder of Realatte, a pioneer in real estate digital marketing which has 100+ pan-India clients including some of the top listed developers like Godrej Properties, Mahindra Lifespaces, Shapoorji Pallonji, Sunteck, Brigade Group and many more enable and explore the full potential of digital presence and achieve superlative ROI.
Having early roots in India’s digital journey, and 10+ years of multiple entrepreneur roles in the domestic and international market, in the year 2017, he co-founded his next venture Realatte where he continues to lead using his in-depth digital knowledge and business acumen. An IT graduate from Mumbai University, a technology enthusiast and passionate marketer, he brought together the best of both worlds to help the company scale and reach the next level.
Rahul Goyal is the co-founder of Realatte, one of the leading real estate digital marketing companies in India, which has helped more than 100+ top Real Estate brands in India achieve digital expansion goal. Previously, he held a leadership role in the successful start-up Realty Redefined, which is now acquired by Quickr. He was engaged in driving growth and digitization of large integrated brands, leading the company to scale and establish its presence pan India. His relentless passion for offering high-performance marketing solutions to Real Estate brands advanced him to his next venture Realatte, which he co-founded in 2017. With a background in engineering, Rahul has over 10+ years of substantial experience in full-
scale Digital Marketing services. He continues to lead and deliver success stories by strategizing, executing and scaling digital campaigns.
The business world faced unprecedented challenges due to Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Consumer behavior and preferences changed drastically as well. Anticipating the changes, the brands used different business models, advanced technology and digital solutions to remain relevant and to have an edge over their competitors. Consumers, at the same time, embraced technology for easy processes and seamless solutions.
In 2021, the use of technology will further accelerate the changing business dynamics that began last year, and it will provide meaningful customer experiences. This trend is set to continue with more innovations, coming-in in how the brands will enhance their product offerings through the use of technology. Here are the key trends that the brands should watch out for in 2021:
Re-organizing Consumer Behaviour and Market Analysis
Since customer behaviour on all fronts has changed considerably due to pandemic, brands will need to re-look at the way data is analysed. With CRMs in place and loads of data being available now, it is imperative to utilize the insights effectively. Additionally, the brands will need to re-assess the way they are communicating with their customers. It is critical to identify the products and solutions which are the need of the hour. Better strategies will have to be used to achieve better conversion rates. It includes personalized attention to customer requests and queries and using this as an opportunity to up-sell and cross-sell. Therefore, the target market needs to be reassessed too considering the demand is now from different consumer segments, and the right technology has to be used to boost engagement.
Automation
Since the pandemic is expected to last the entire 2021 and most businesses are working from home, automation of key processes within the organization would be another big trend that you could see in 2021. Technological solutions now enable customers to set up virtual meetings with brands with just a few clicks of a button, eliminating the need for sales reps or support representative. Similarly, the use of chatbots will continue to increase and improve along with AI and data analytics. Automation is also expected to bring in more sales. Real Estate and FMCG industries, who traditionally depend on offline sales have now developed infrastructure that allows the consumers to buy these products in the comfort of their homes.
Data/Cyber Security
Data or Cybersecurity is one of the trends that would continue in 2021 as well. The amount of data that brands are gathering every day, and the value that it carries is too big. Therefore a high level of security to prevent breaches is extremely important. Also, brands will require a robust plan to manage this vast data. Furthermore, strong security protocols that enable them to secure data using a highly sophisticated network of secured servers is necessary. Hackers generally target companies’ user authentication and network accesses that allows them to easily breach the confidential data. Brands will need to implement security solutions like forced regular password resets, two-step authentication, whitelisted network access and multiple data storage servers aimed at making the breach impossible.
5th Generation Internet
5G is perhaps the most anticipated technology in 2021, and brands should be prepared to leverage it. With 5th generation internet, the consumers will now have access to a fast internet connection, allowing them to browse, download and stream information at a speed which is 100 times faster than 4G. Moreover, the consumers will be expected to access key applications through their smartphones, explore more information, consume the content faster and would be ready to make decisions much quicker. It opens up a world of opportunities for brands, and one should be prepared to meet the demand that will be generated through high-speed internet access. To meet this change in consumer behaviour, brands will need to enhance their digital platforms or application’s customer interface and make it more smartphone friendly. Also, multiply the information that is currently available on the mobile versions of the interface by adding more videos, virtual tours, 360-degree walk-through, AI-based chatbots and e-commerce.
Real estate Technology Trends
Digital transformation was the buzz word for the real estate industry in the last decade. 2020 became a catalyst for real estate technology and digital solutions to boom as industries were compelled to use new digital-based business models to achieve operational efficiencies and flexibility. In 2021, the trends already in place will continue to dominate. Some of the innovations like 360-degree drone shoots, virtual walk-through, the online portal for inventory selection and booking, lead nurturing automation tools and advanced analytics for tracking customer journey, will play a key role for business success in 2021. The technology will be key to simplify the engagement and relationship between real estate stakeholders and customers. The digital solutions which are convenient and flexible will result in success.
The popularity of technology solutions like Virtual Sales Presentor (an online portal that gives complete information to the property seekers including a direct virtual meeting at the developer’s office) and Virtual site visit experience centre (a solution wherein the property seekers can experience the project neighbourhood through virtual reality) will soar further. Other features like cloud-based meetings and presentations are well on the path to become the common norm.