There are over 28,000 apartment leasing agents, according to Zippia. The same study says the average age of an employed apartment leasing agent is 49 years old. Whether your leasing agents are younger or older, many agents have the same mindset of — what’s in it for me? — when new technology or projects are introduced.

This may seem blunt and out of character for your leasing agents, but to some degree, they want to know if their efforts will positively affect their personal performance or how supervisors view their contributions.

As a leader, when you implement a new technology across your team(s), you may notice that not everyone jumps on it at once. The pressure of adding yet another technology to their exhausted list of to-dos is often met with a deer in the headlights reaction. The feelings of joy and appreciation you were expecting to receive can turn into feelings of anxiety and sometimes frustration. You were expecting your team(s) to hone in, but unfortunately, they tuned out.

So, how can leaders get their teams excited about adopting a new technology? Empathize with your team(s) and lead with their mindset: What’s in it for me?

How to Subtly Answer the What’s In It for Me?

Let’s discuss an example. As a person in a leadership role at an apartment community, you want to implement a new technology to speed up leasing efforts. For the sake of this example, let’s say you have found Realync and believe it could make a real difference in your on-site team’s day by saving them time and helping them close more leases. And, you believe it’ll truly help your teams perform at a higher level since you care about their personal career development at your company.

As you begin implementing Realync across your community, you immediately run into a problem — teams aren’t using the software. You’ve spent time and money evaluating Realync to ensure it’s successful for teams, but you soon find out that usage isn’t as high as you’d like. Frustrating, right? Here’s what you can do:

  • Salvage the situation. Gather your team to openly discuss the immense benefits you know this tool will provide to them, ultimately getting to the what’s in it for me?
  • Ask questions. Ask your team to identify one or two tasks they can give to take on a new technology — since you’re adamant Realync will help their day-to-day.
  • Communicate often. At first, your team might not see the value in learning a new technology because they haven’t had the chance to ask questions or dedicate time to Realync’s training. As their leader, it’s your responsibility to create space for them to see how Realync helps them save time just like you did when evaluating Realync for yourself.

For Next Time

Here’s what you can do for next time, or if you’re currently evaluating a new technology. Let’s stay with the Realync example.

Before telling employees about your overall vision for Realync, communicate the recent gaps you’ve seen that aren’t due to the lack of their work. Ask questions to make them feel a part of the decision-making process. Then, explain how Realync will help them save time in the day (a key outcome that answers what’s in it for me?).

For example, you could say:

“Hi team, I want your input on a new initiative — I’ve noticed you all are incredibly busy lately. So, to alleviate stress, I’m evaluating Realync to help reduce the time it takes to do in-person tours and replace some with virtual tours through Realync. Has anyone heard of Realync? Do you have any reservations about a new technology? Do you have an existing tool you don’t see the need for?”

Your Influence Matters

As we’ve learned, communication and transparency are crucial when adopting a new technology. As a leader, your influence matters to your team, and they should trust your decisions; however, you can build even more trust and influence when you make your team a part of the conversation. Remember, most employees wants to have a voice and feel like a value-add to the company.

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Ready to evaluate your video strategy? Realync, a multifamily-specific video platform, is designed to help on-site teams do more with fewer in-person tours, less time communicating about in-person tours, and bouncing between video solutions (we’re an all-in-one tool).

If you’re evaluating video solutions, download our guide to get direct responses to all your burning questions. See how other communities are succeeding with Realync (like a closed deal in 22-minutes and ZERO maintenance tickets because of a DIY video)!