If you've been following the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the last decade, you might know that it was all leading up to Avengers: Infinity War.
That blockbuster featured all our favorite heroes trying to stop the villain Thanos from getting his hands (hand?) on the Infinity Stones, a source of immeasurable power in the universe. Obviously, Marvel couldn’t let Thanos have an easy time getting those stones. Each required him to solve a different problem, some of which cost him much more dearly than others. Don't worry, we won't spoil it!
Each stone represents one of six aspects of the universe, which are surprisingly applicable to your brokerage. It wasn't easy for Thanos to solve his pain points and get those stones, but it doesn't need to be difficult for you to solve yours and build your brokerage's power!
So how do these apply to your brokerage, and how can you use them to unlock its ultimate power?
Space
This is the first stone we meet, showing up in the first Avengers film with the arrival of the god of mischief, Loki. It gives the user the power to manipulate space, including apparent teleportation.
That's still a pipe dream here on Earth, but that doesn't mean that space isn't an issue.
The most noticeable way that space might become an issue for your brokerage is if your records are all on paper. Paper can pile up quickly, and it's too easy to run out of space to store it all! Today's technology makes it easy to store your records and data on the cloud, so you don't need to worry about space.
Worried about getting hacked? As long as you're smart about cybersecurity (which you can learn about here and here), cloud storage is safe and secure for you, your team, and your clients.
Power
The purple Power Stone, which brought the Guardians of the Galaxy together in their first film, gives the user pure power. It's destructive in the movie, but only when handled improperly!
The Power Stone is a perfect analogy for technology in today's world. It doesn't have to be a bad thing; it can be scary sometimes, but it has the power to make or break a brokerage.
The trick to making this power work for you is to make sure you're using the right technology. It doesn't matter how many spoons you have if all you need is a fork, right?
Today's technology offers all kinds of generic tools, which may help in the short run, but can ultimately leave your needs unfulfilled. Having the right tools for your brokerage's needs is one of the easiest ways to help you tackle your other pain points, as well—including issues like space and time.
Time
This emerald-green gem, first seen in Dr. Strange, gifts the user with the power to manipulate time—winding it back, turning it forward, even having it loop itself.
And while here in the real world, we may not have such sorcerous powers over time, it's still perhaps the most valuable thing to your brokerage.
In real estate, the old adage "time is money" is true in more ways than one; it's what you need to sell, it's what you need to manage your business, and it's what you need to manage all your paperwork.
Sometimes, you need more of it than your workload allows.
In many cases, saving on time is as simple as reducing redundancies around your office. Maybe you're using a couple different tools that do half the job, or maybe your software doesn't communicate with other software, so you need to input the same information a couple of times.
Want the quickest (and most painless) solution? Rather than try to stitch everything together, do some research to find a system that works for your brokerage—even if that means starting with a different program altogether.
Not sure where to start? See how Lone Wolf Technologies covers your brokerage’s workflow from start to finish, whether you’re new to the game, growing fast, or already established.
Mind
This stone, which came into play in Avengers: Age of Ultron, gives the user incredible power of the mind—the power of knowing everything in the universe. But really, who wants to have that much information lodged in their brains? It would be too much!
When it comes to your brokerage, things like workflow details, transaction processes, even membership information can stay stuck in your mind, bouncing around but not making any sense. How do you get those things out of your mind, and into a place where you can see it all?
The first step is to have somewhere to keep that information. Having a central repository for information is a good way for you to keep things manageable, and can also help make the right information accessible to your team when they need it most.
Need someplace to keep track of everything? Check out how brokerWOLF can help you get everything out of your mind and into your business!
Reality
This vivid red stone, which first appears in Thor: The Dark World, gives the user the power to manipulate and control everyone's perception of reality.
While our world doesn't allow for such Dalí-esque manipulation of what is real, there are certainly ways for reality to be confused. Maybe there was a miscommunication about a transaction last quarter, or maybe you just aren't sure what your bottom line is right now.
And those are things that as a business owner, you'll want to know.
The simplest way to keep track of your brokerage's reality is to give yourself visibility.
Setting yourself up with the right back office management system can give you the ability to see everything for how it really is in your brokerage. You'll know how your agents are performing, how your brokerage is doing, and just what happened with that transaction last quarter.
Because when you can see everything with a bird's-eye view, you have a better idea of how your brokerage is doing.
Soul
This orange stone, which Marvel strategically saved for its final countdown, is the last of the six Infinity Stones, and at least for Thanos, comes with the steepest price. It gives the user complete control over souls, both living and dead.
It's a little obscure, and more than a little dark, but it does still have meaning for your brokerage. Think about it this way: When you look at your business, what do you think is its soul?
In most cases, the soul of a business is its people. And while we're not suggesting complete and autonomous control over your staff, we are suggesting the importance of having everyone on the same page.
When your team isn't on the same page, it gets tricky to communicate and navigate your brokerage's everyday activities. Introducing a consistent way for everyone to communicate can help people stay connected, which in turn helps your brokerage's soul thrive and grow.
When Thanos solves his pain points, he gets a very literal ultimate power. When your brokerage has the right tools to solve its pain points and address the core issues, you’ll be able to unlock its ultimate power!
