Should You Buy Software or Rent It?
You pay a human personal assistant, and many software companies are starting to view their product as the same thing – not coding you buy, but a service you rent.
NEW YORK – A software delivery model called Software as a Service (SaaS) allows users to access cloud providers’ servers and applications through the internet. With SaaS, users typically pay a recurring fee instead of a large upfront purchase.
Through renting, users can also scale applications up or down based on their needs.
Another Saas advantage is less time spent on maintenance because service providers implement software updates automatically.
However, Saas can have potential drawbacks. If the internet goes down, for example, access to company-used software goes down with it. There’s also a limited scope for customization compared to conventional software.
In the real estate arena, customer relationship management (CRM) is among the most important SaaS tools. CRM software lets agents automate follow-ups, manage contact information and categorize audiences based on specific criteria, such as property type preference or budget range. CRM can also enhance email marketing campaigns by allowing agents to monitor customer behavior and interests and create personalized email content.
SaaS social media tools such as Hootsuite or Buffer let agents oversee their social media profiles from a single place. Users can schedule posts, monitor engagement and respond to comments or messages.
Meanwhile, SaaS providers such as Matterport offer tools to create 3D virtual tours of properties, making listings more visible and enhancing the user experience.
SaaS analytics tools can help agents gain more insight into their website’s traffic, user behavior, and the effectiveness of their marketing efforts.
SEO tools (search engine optimization) like Moz or SEMrush can help agents optimize their website so that search engines help attract more organic traffic. And a platform called HubSpot lets users automate email campaigns based on specific prompts.
Source: Realty Biz News (06/01/2023) Shepardson, Ben
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