The CEO and Co-Founder of RE/MAX Italy can distinctly remember waking up one morning several weeks ago and realizing everything had changed.
The COVID-19 pandemic has ceased operations in his country. It had disrupted life, shaken up his community and changed the real estate industry as he knew it.
Simply put: It was devastating.
“I call it a tsunami,” Dario Castiglia says. “We woke up one morning and found ourselves with a huge problem that had completely changed our lives.”
Castiglia appeared on Tuesday’s “Good Morning RE/MAX with Nick Bailey” to detail what life and real estate have been like in Italy since the COVID-19 pandemic began. For RE/MAX affiliates around the world, Castiglia has been an invaluable asset in providing an in-depth look at how the pandemic has progressed and how real estate professionals can keep moving forward.
Here are 5 takeaways from Castiglia’s conversation with Nick Bailey, RE/MAX Chief Customer Officer:
1. Embrace change; embrace technology.
“[Technology] is the only thing that saves us,” Castiglia saysof business in Italy, where people have long-favored tradition to tech. Though he’s confident there will be an end to the current situation, he says now is the time to use video, stream webinars and work remotely. Personally, Castiglia notes that technology has allowed him to virtually visit many more agents and brokers than he ever thought possible.
2. Remember: Nothing beats genuine relationships.
Although technology has helped him keep in touch with his network, Castiglia says he’s reminded all the more how important genuine relationships are. Agents need to use technology to nurture the relationships they already have.
3. Know the importance of real estate agents.
“The most precious word is trust,” Castiglia says. “You need experience, but the biggest factor is trust. This has taught me that realtors will be necessary. The realtors who embrace technology will be necessary. They will be the ones who survive this big change. Tech won’t replace the agents. But it will replace the agents who don’t embrace technology.”
4. Prepare for the aftermath now.
Want a leg up on your competition? Start preparing now for what things will be like when this passes. What other value can you provide? What services will be needed? How can you become the go-to? “After the virus there will be a new normal,” he says. “It’ not going to be the same life that we had before.”
5. Stay positive and learn something new.
Maybe the most important thing, Castiglia says, is to keep calm and block out the noise. He says passing on the positivity in his network has been paramount. “This is not just a saying – I believe we will come though this better than before,” he says. “We learn new things and new ways of doing things. I really believe we’ll be more productive than ever before.”
Justin Havre, Team Leader of Justin Havre & Associates with RE/MAX First in Calgary, Alberta, also joined the show to talk about how to navigate virtual homebuying.
“Good Morning RE/MAX” debuts via Facebook Live every Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET on the “We Are RE/MAX” Facebook page. The 30-minute show features Bailey’s insights along with conversations with guests from real estate, technology and related industries. Anyone can view the video, either live or at their convenience.
Each Thursday at 10 a.m. ET, RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos covers leadership principles and more on his weekly show, “Mind, Body and Business.” It, too, debuts with a Facebook Live session on We Are RE/MAX and is available for viewing at any time.
Written by Luke Graham
