- Real estate agents are behind their own customers when it comes to leveraging industry technology. Chime wants to change that with a zealous integration approach and standout user experience.
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Mobile-first software Chime helps agents launch IDX-powered websites and online marketing campaigns, then captures and manages the subsequent leads in its CRM suite.
This month the company launched two major updates, keeping its promise of introducing at least one new feature every month. BombBomb video email account holders can now link any pre-recorded message in the signature of a Chime-generated email.
That combines convenience with flair, as BombBomb is known for turning clinical, business-like messages into relatable, engaging dialogues.
For now, those messages are still created and edited from your BombBomb account, but work is underway to allow Chime users to record directly from its interface.
March also saw the integration of realtor.com accounts with Chime. Agents who advertise on the Move Inc.-owned product can now use Chime as their CRM and non-portal marketing platform.
Designing B2C for B2B
Chime’s commitment to enhance the quality of its agents’ brand is evident in this update. When discussing the add-on, Chime Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Murphy expressed that one of his company’s goals is to help the industry keep pace with consumer technologies.
“We don’t want consumers to have better technology than the agents,” Murphy said. That could explain why the company is moving so fast.
He added that he encourages Chime developers to take a “business-to-consumer” approach when creating the user experience, even though it’s a business-to-business product.
This design strategy is smart on several fronts. The faster an agent can be onboarded, the faster leads can be generated.
It also helps agents relate to what consumers experience when they use software, therefore providing Chime with a smarter userbase for more informed user feedback when it comes time for updates and fixes.
Over-integration? Not yet, says CMO
I’ve seen the mobile-first Chime interface and its certainly sharp. A concern I have about Chime’s integration-heavy approach to feature growth is that it may end up over-burdening the user. For example, Chime also tacked-on transaction management by connecting with Brokermint.
Agents who use competitors to Chime’s partners may choose another marketing/CRM solution, or feel that not knowing how to use Brokermint, for example, will hamper their use of Chime.
About over-integrating, Murphy said, “We’ve had agents cancel training sessions because they’ve figured how to use Chime on their own. When that stops happening I think we’ll begin worrying about it.”
Murphy’s team has also built out an in-app chat interface for agents to communicate with colleagues and customers.
The company’s goal to help agents keep up with consumer-facing technology is a good one, and it’s no doubt making a product that’s feature-rich and highly intuitive.
Murphy and his specialized team of developers started long after the race gun sounded. At barely a year old, I think Chime could be out in front before year’s end.
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