Real Estate Agent Training Program For...

Digitalizing A Real Estate Agent Training Program For RE/MAX Europe

We are very pleased that we chose eWyse as a partner for our long-term project. The project is an important investment in our processes and quality development, and eWyse met all our expectations in terms of competence and communication. The team was fully dedicated to the project, collaborative and transparent, and established great cooperation with our company. The project was finished on time, and we achieved excellent results.
Stephanie Zeindlinger, Head of Regional Business Development, RE/MAX Europe

Background

With over 50 years of experience, RE/MAX is a real estate industry leader and a vast global organization. RE/MAX is changing and influencing the way real estate is bought and sold in Europe and the world.

With over 30,000 agents in Europe, RE/MAX is a synonym for success and excellent real estate business practice. RE/MAX Europe network is constantly growing. The answer to this growth is investing in new techniques and advanced training that equip RE/MAX agents with the knowledge and skills to provide exceptional customer service and put the focus on customers’ needs.

In navigating the complexities of an eLearning development project with both traditional and agile components, spanning over 250 deliverables, effective communication with the client was the cornerstone of success. It’s the practical tool that ensured we have aligned expectations, adapted to changes, and delivered results that now resonate with their needs and goals.
Mario Buljan, CEO, eWyse

Challenge

Buying or selling a property, for most customers, is an emotional decision that profoundly impacts their lives. Real estate agents play a pivotal role in this moment and are key to ensuring that the process is professional and enjoyable for each customer.

RE/MAX Europe recognized the demands that emerging technologies, customer expectations, and market changes place upon their agents, as well as the need to revamp existing trainings and offer new training methods. This has again established RE/MAX Europe as a leader in innovation and a company that puts a strong emphasis on professionalism, training, and success.

RE/MAX Europe is present in over 40 European countries and counts over 30,000 agents. To meet market conditions and continue to provide excellent service to their clients, it is necessary for new agent training to evolve in order to provide the best possible customer experience, which in the context of real estate transactions means ensuring client satisfaction and raising the service to a new level.

All RE/MAX agents have the opportunity to participate in numerous live events, both online and offline, and regional and local workshops, where they can learn about the new trends in real estate, build their skills, and connect with their colleagues. However, the new agent foundational training was primarily hosted as in-person workshops only, presenting challenges in terms of high costs, accessibility, time and travel effort among other factors.

In addition, RE/MAX Europe produces their training content in English, which then needs to be localized by all regions across their network, to suit local languages and customs.

The answer to this unique set of challenges was the digitalization of existing new agent training materials and the creation of a translatable digital program suitable for new agents joining the network. Digital training solutions offer on-demand support to all agents, regardless of their location, which they can access anytime and fit into their schedules. This modern approach also allows agents to keep up with the latest technologies and implement them faster in their work.

The challenge was to create creative courses that would include effective storytelling and interactive exercises to successfully transfer the necessary knowledge and maximally engage the learners. We accomplished this in efficient collaboration with the RE/MAX’s SME.
Tajana Kovačević – Learning Architect, eWyse

Solution

RE/MAX Europe chose eWyse as their trusted partner for this important, large-scale project. eWyse’s experience in delivering balanced blended learning helped determine a variety of best practices from both worlds and create solutions tailored to the project and client’s needs.

The project lasted for one year and required excellent communication, project coordination, and planning from both sides. Milestones, processes, and project management documentation were established at the beginning of the project and adjusted as the project progressed, with input from eWyse’s and RE/MAX Europe’s Project Managers.

A blended learning approach, which included eLearning courses, face-to-face workshops, and webinars, was used to provide the agents with quality training and to achieve the best results. The interactive face-to-face workshops were created by RE/MAX Europe trainers, while the digital aspects of the training were co-created by both parties in a collaborative effort, resulting in a comprehensive and engaging learning experience for new real estate agents joining the network.

Through the close cooperation of an experienced Subject Matter Expert from RE/MAX Europe and eWyse’s Learning Architects, a digital knowledge base was established for all agents across Europe. Raw materials were provided to eWyse, and after a thorough needs analysis, project goals and curriculum were set and designed together with several feedback rounds and input.

Collaborating closely with RE/MAX Europe Subject Matter Experts, over two hundred deliverables (eLearning courses, face-to-face training, and webinars) and supporting documents were co-created, teaching new agents how to follow RE/MAX Europe best practices and build the sales skills needed to close their first transactions. Interactive and practical content was included in eLearning courses and other deliverables, including use-case scenarios, storytelling, engaging exercises, and learning from experience. Structured and useful training will make an impact on the careers and allow agents to set their own career goals.

Revamping of the training program included:

• Replacement of outdated information from existing training and turning to new methods, synthesizing the information, and presenting it in an interactive and engaging way.
• Implementation of modern technologies with the aim of providing the best possible user experience, and easy access to training through the LMS platform.
• Changing the existing practices in real estate by setting new standards focused on sales culture and customer expectations, following the trends and demands of modern customers and markets.
• Motivating the agents to recognize the value of continuous education, encouraging growth and development.
• Establishing a new visual identity in all educational materials, presentations, and other materials that agents prepare for their work.

To make the training even more accessible in the largest RE/MAX Europe regions, in addition to the master English version, all deliverables were translated and localized into six different languages. Translation was a collaborative effort done by the RE/MAX regions, RE/MAX Europe and eWyse. Aided by input from the RE/MAX regions, eWyse had the demanding task of localizing eLearning courses, and adapting the courses by adjusting the content to fit the values and culture of the target audience. Coordination with the regions and with many stakeholders also required structured work, attention to detail, and thorough quality control from eWyse’s Instructional Designers, RE/MAX Europe, and the RE/MAX regions.

This project was exciting and challenging from the early start to its end – from coming up with design ideas for the 1st pilot course to finalizing the last localized course variant. I believe the entire eWyse team learned a lot about the importance of good communication and creative collaboration with clients.
Karmela Peček, Senior Instructional Designer, eWyse

Results

Excellent and frequent communication from both sides, respecting the deadlines, the feedback process, and the implementation of the 3C Framework contributed to the success of the project. Teamwork, mutual respect, and the focus on quality resulted in the development of high-quality training and the use of the latest technology (such as 360-degree imagery).

With the digital training program, RE/MAX Europe managed to position itself once more as a pioneer in the industry and further improve business processes.

Some of the benefits of the project include:

• Developing a new approach to the training of new real estate agents.
• Spreading awareness of the most important RE/MAX values, which is to provide the clients with top-notch service, and develop long-term and quality relationships.
• Reducing the costs of live training and events, and a long-term profit from the digitalized content (accessible in the long run to a large number of agents in seven languages, with the potential to develop the training in other languages).
• Additional cost reduction—production of new training materials or upgrading existing courses made easy and based on established designs, with easy upload to the LMS platform.
• Keeping up with the changes in the market, learning on the go without the need to organize live training.

It was an exciting opportunity for me to work with talented e-Learning experts to co-create interactive and engaging SCORM courses. Once an effective workflow was established, we were able to create an impressive volume of education materials for our network, now used by thousands of agents across Europe in their local languages.
Stephanie Zeindlinger, Head of Regional Business Development, RE/MAX Europe