WIIFM: The BRUTAL truth about tech adoption in Estate Agency

Everyone talks about digital transformation, AI, automation, efficiency, “future-proofing” the business…etc etc. 

However, there is an uncomfortable truth that some leaders and tech vendors ignore -

They do not adopt technology because you think it’s brilliant.

They adopt it when they believe it will make their life better or easier. 

This is the WIIFM principle. What’s In It For Me?

In estate agency, WIIFM is the difference between powerful adoption with huge impact and another expensive tool that your staff ignore or don't utilise fully and ends up fading out - It doesn’t matter that you believe in it. 

You can see the efficiencies, the business impact. You can see the ROI.

However the negotiators, valuers, admins, progression team, managers, the ones living in the workflow. They don’t care.

Not because they’re lazy and not because they’re resistant to change, but because every new tool comes with friction. Every new tool comes with…..

• Time to learn it

• Time to change routine habits

• Loss of control

• Less dependence on them

• More questions to ask

• More data to collect

• More fields to complete or forms to fill

• Extra clicks, extra screens, extra effort

• Risk of it not working and them being blamed

  
  

If they don’t see a clear personal win, that friction wins every time.