This month, Real Estate magazine spoke with Jenn Steeves-Kiss, chief experience officer at Rocket Companies®, to discuss technology in the real estate space in addition to the importance of utilizing the right tools and systems to find success for everyone involved in the home-buying and -selling process.
Paige Brown: Tell us how you got started with Rocket Companies and how it led to your current role.
Jenn Steeves-Kiss: I joined the family of companies as the CEO of Dictionary.com in June 2019 and led the team until October of last year. I recently relocated to Detroit to take on the chief experience officer role, leading the Rocket platform, which includes data organization, product strategy and design, a top technology team and marketing.
PB: As chief experience officer, what are your primary roles and responsibilities?
JS: We want our entire Rocket ecosystem to be driven by what’s great for the client, so my role begins with understanding who our clients are and what they need. For me, it always starts with creating an end-to-end experience for the client. I led the acquisition of Truebill last December, which helps create more moments where we can be of service to our clients when they are faced with complex decisions.
PB: When it comes to technology in the real estate space, what are some of the top trends?
JS: Nearly 40% of Americans say homebuying is the single most stressful event, so technology needs to be focused on reducing that stress. There’s been fewer homes for sale, making competition among buyers intense—and with the market slowing down, that’s going to put more pressure on real estate agents and buyers. Most of our efforts relative to technology are about trying to simplify that experience. Providing Verified Approvals, faster closings and so much more—and having that tied in with our technology is critical.
PB: Over the last few years, the industry has seen many changes, from rising interest rates to low housing inventory. How can Rocket Companies’ technology help push through these challenges?
JS: We’ve focused on trying to automate as many parts of the buying and selling journey as possible. I think offering quick approvals, making sure they’re accurate and making sure we’re positive about the contracts of a winning offer are all vital. It’s important for us to make sure the buyer, seller, agent and mortgage banker are all on the same page, have the same information and can track the entire process.
PB: What are some tried-and-true technology solutions real estate professionals can adopt and implement today?
JS: The first thing that comes to mind is Rocket ProSM Insight. With Rocket Pro Insight, we’re putting everything a real estate agent needs at their fingertips. This tool gives them visibility to see where the loan is, giving the agent confidence that the closing is going to happen on time. We spend a lot of time speaking to agents and they consistently tell us that being at the center is the most efficient way to keep track of where the process is for their clients. That was the genesis behind creating Rocket Pro Insight. Currently, more than 100,000 agents are using Rocket Pro Insight, showing just how valuable it is.
PB: Why is it so important for real estate professionals to utilize new technology trends to find success, especially in a changing environment?
JS: The key is for the agent to scale themselves. Great follow-up is one of the most critical components, but there’s only so much human bandwidth. That’s where Rocket’s tools come in. They allow real estate professionals to be effective with their clients, but also let some of the technology do the heavy lifting.
PB: What are some of the current technology solutions offered through Rocket Companies, and why should real estate professionals turn to them over any other?
JS: Rocket MoneySM, rebranded from Truebill, is a great tool for prospective clients. It allows them to keep track of their spending and ensure that they’re ready to make that purchase.
Rocket HomesSM enables clients to stay on top of the market in terms of neighborhood and property search. This tool will also help clients better manage their expectations relative to where their dollar can go, making them more familiar with the neighborhoods and properties their agents are evaluating.
Our tools increase the client’s understanding of what their purchasing power looks like as well as what’s affordable. This can be really important relative to expectation setting, particularly for first-time homebuyers.
PB: What kinds of technology issues are today’s real estate professionals facing, and what solutions does Rocket Companies offer to help mitigate these challenges?
JS: I think the need for simplicity is big. Calls, emails and trying to stay on top of clients gets more challenging as agents try to scale themselves. Being able to submit the winning offer and having confidence that our real-time approval letter will get the client to the closing table are really the key pieces. Rocket Pro Insight is the centerpiece to be able to do that.
We’re also prioritizing communication with agents, not only with Rocket Pro Insight, but in a service perspective. We recognize their success is tied to our success and giving them certainty that we’re going to be able to make it through the full transaction is key. You need technology, but there’s also a client service component. One doesn’t go without the other.
PB: What new tools can we expect from Rocket Companies in 2023?
JS: We recently launched our Rocket Rewards program, a super exciting opportunity for clients to earn rewards for doing everything from taking advantage of learning opportunities to getting a pre-approval letter. Those reward points will help them get discounts on their closing costs. It’s going to be very meaningful for clients, particularly those who may be in a longer timeframe to buy. While they’re searching for their home, they can earn rewards to reduce their costs, which is going to be important next year.
We’ll also be creating tools to help those clients that are in the planning process. We’ll continue to make the mortgage process better, but we also want to make sure the planning process is improved. We have a number of improvements slated for 2023 relative to enhancing the experience with Rocket Pro Insight, including little delights that will improve the utility of that tool.
The above article is sponsored content. For more information, please visit https://www.RocketPro.com/RealEstate.