Jan 26

Connectivity Counts: Why and How the Communication Gap is Widening

Real insights, from real people, for real people.

Most people can’t enter our industry without hearing phrases such as “property is a people industry” and “people do business with people” or words to that effect. And rightly so given that, despite the increasing adoption of tech, most transactions / interactions in real estate still have a significant “human-led” element to them. But how we communicate with each other, and indeed how business is being “done”, is changing. We observe that this is causing some friction, some of which could be described as healthy “disruption” but some of which is arguably unintended consequences from different generational preferences and/or a relentless pursuit of efficiency.

What’s the problem?

In a nutshell, one could say convenience is replacing connection, but at a cost. It seems that an obsession for efficiency means that emails, messages, and chat platforms dominate, while live or face-to-face conversations are sometimes avoided or delayed. In particular, these asynchronous mediums of messaging, email or platforms are favoured by younger professionals who grew up with digital-first habits. But without real-time interaction decisions, negotiations and relationship strength can suffer from misinterpretation or a lack of empathy and flexibility. Hitting “send” does not equal taking responsibility for making something happen, nor is it always the most efficient way to achieve outcomes in the long run.

That said, those people who refuse to engage with a wider variety of communication mediums risk becoming outdated, losing engagement with younger professionals and placing an over-emphasis on time-consuming meetings, which are unnecessary. Many people we coach describe back-to-back meeting overload, being stifled by internal procedure or a frustration with lack of meeting discipline.

Connectivity Counts

Connectivity in this context is building and maintaining meaningful, two-way relationships that help you work more effectively, navigate your environment, and create value for yourself and others. This is often reliant on expanding and deepening professional relationships or “networking” as it is traditionally-known. Particularly when combined with managing stakeholders (understanding who matters to your work, both internally or externally, to build trust and alignment where it’s most effective) getting connectivity right emerges as a differentiator and leads to competitive edge.

We are fortunate enough to coach some of the best communicators and operators in our industry. We’ve listened to their end-of-year reflections on the matter throughout December / January. This is what they say:

  • Problems get solved faster when you know who to call
  • Good relationships make difficult conversations easier
  • I picked up the phone and saved us weeks of back and forth
  • It means you get the first call, not the RFP landing in a generic inbox
  • A two-minute chat avoided a very expensive misunderstanding
  • You never regret calling someone, only not calling them more or sooner
  • I can influence decisions I’m not even in the room for
  • A check-in at the right time is better than a pitch at the wrong one
  • If you don’t invest in relationships, you’re stuck competing on price
  • You don’t waste time duplicating what someone else is already doing
  • Opportunities find you, because people remember you
  • The best career advice I ever had was “build your network before you need it”

All of these imply...

1. Working smarter due to fast problem-solving and less duplication;
2. Better business performance as a result of increased opportunities and efficient execution;
3. Effective future-proofing from being at the forefront of change and ready to adapt;
4. More opportunity for individual career progression.

So we conclude that connectivity and the right choice of mediums really do matter. And if we don’t get this right, individual and business performance will suffer.

Everyone Can Comfortably Connect

There are lots of reasons we don’t always get this right. Here are a few that often emerge in our group coaching on the subject, along with a playful “persona” groups have attached to them.

“I don't know where to start / who to connect with” (The Starter)
“I'm too junior - what have I got to offer?” (The Beginner)
“It feels transactional / fake” (The Rejector)
“I know I should, but I'm not naturally sociable and find it uncomfortable” (The Reluctant)
“I don't have time. My work speaks for itself. I’m too busy.” (The Head-Down Deliverer)
“I know it matters, but I'm stretched in all directions” (The Middle Manager Multitasker)
“I’m known in my own circle; I don't need to do more” (The Limiter)
“I'm so visible that I forget to connect meaningfully” (The Senior Leader in the Spotlight)
“I'm already doing my job well - I don't need it” (The Naïve Native)
“It's just easier to send an e-mail or use teams” (Captain Convenience)


To help those in your business benefit from increased connectivity:

  • It helps to know what stops someone so you can directly address that e.g. “The Starter” could find other juniors at the same level in relevant teams or businesses, or work with “The Beginner” to articulate their value so they understand what they have to offer.
  • Avoid digital drift – remind people that tech is a tool but relationships are investment-worthy assets.
  • Remember what gets measured gets improved, so set specific goals and track efforts.
  • Encourage a “connectivity challenge” e.g. to know people in a division, on a floor or in a sector / business by a date.
  • Make sure people don't overthink it. Doing something is more important that protracted planning or seeking perfection. 
  • Highlight that people are only as agile as their network and their knowledge combined. 
  • Believe that everyone can comfortably connect - these are skills, not personality traits – finding a comfortable way for someone to connect is more likely to lead to success.


Mediums Matter

Let’s remember that the best communicators aren’t necessarily the busiest or loudest, and let's stay open-minded to all communication methods and mediums. In our coaching work, we observe the best communicators as “intentional”. Choosing the right medium for each interaction; being thoughtful and deliberate for each message and truly investing in relationships is well worth the time and attention.

If this article resonates with you or you’d like to find out more, please contact us directly.

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