Even as real estate agents spend more time in the office and their customers line up for in-person open houses, one discovery from the pandemic era continues to make an enduring impact: Virtual training. Virtual training is proven to offer all the benefits of conventional training but can serve more learners even faster.

Virtual training isn't just for real estate, either. Industries across the board have been adopting it in record numbers. This is because it empowers organizations to onboard new employees quickly and get them up to speed. It also enables existing employers to follow a talent development plan and achieve superior outcomes over time.

Although it's not unique to real estate, virtual training is uniquely suited for it.

Real estate agents and brokers are enjoying new opportunities to collaborate through virtual platforms, feeling a new sense of camaraderie with colleagues from across the country and around the world. After all, we know that a stronger network of relationships provides benefits all along the real estate value chain.

For all the intangible benefits virtual training offers, however, there are just as many producing measurable business value that helps agents excel. Virtual training applies to everyone, at any stage of their career and any kind of specialization. Plus, it is naturally effective to teach technology using the technology platform itself.

Let's take a closer look at the top reasons to embrace virtual training:

1. It is Cost Effective

Traditional training brings with it a number of hefty costs from various necessities such as an office or event space, experienced trainers, single-use printables, daily food and drink, hotel space, and travel expenses. Each one of these adds more overhead, and the benefits are temporary at best. On top of all these expenses, the experience — while positive —  is very disruptive. It comes as no surprise that the lower the cost of training, the easier it is to see ROI from the investment sooner. Virtual training is a natural fit.

With virtual training, the initial setup represents the main cost you need to be aware of. Once you're on a platform, you have a single, predictable cost that enables you to serve ten, one hundred, or one thousand people without shouldering a heavy financial burden. As a result, you can efficiently cater to groups of any size or focus.

2. It Saves Time

A conventional approach to training means everyone needs to pile into the same space. Real estate pros love to spend time together, but nobody loves hours-long commutes. If you'll need to bring in staff from out of state, it means each individual sacrifices 2-4 days of productivity just to get where they need to be.

With virtual training, you can set up an event and feel confident everyone is right where they need to be — no matter where they are. A modern, flexible virtual training platform is accessible from nearly any mobile device or desktop computer. Learners can tune in using tablets, smartphones, or their office laptops.

Cutting out the commute means each member of your team can make an hour or two for life-long learning on a daily basis instead of cramming their discoveries into a few days each year. That's much more likely to build into a sustainable habit that will create knowledge capital throughout your enterprise with time.

3. It is Interactive

Interactivity is the key to holding anyone's attention over a long period of time. For example, just look at how buyers jump for joy when listings include digital 3D walkthroughs, videos, and other interactive features. When someone is learning, interactivity is even more important to stimulate idea retention and creative thought.

The best virtual training platforms on the market benefit in innovative ways from today's emerging science of learning. Instead of boring assignments, these platforms include interactive videos and quizzes that enable a nearly immediate feedback loop where learners see exactly where they need improvement, so no time is wasted.

The more engaged someone is while learning, the more likely it is that their brain will encode that information as crucial to their future well-being — and that's the key to recollection. A complete, multimedia experience is a far more enriching way to learn, even in cases where the material itself isn't exactly thrilling.

4. There Are Measurable Results

Measurable results are part of what makes learning satisfying instead of a slog. Without results, you don't know precisely where you stand or where you need to go next. In conventional approaches to learning, you only see results when you get an assessment back, which leads to a long lag before you can implement lessons learned.

With virtual training, an array of measurable signals guides each learner on the right path for them.

With quiz results, attendance records, and records of completed modules, trainers can understand at a glance where individual learners may need a more tailored approach. It's even possible to see exactly how much time is spent on specific tasks, underlining any that were unusually challenging or confusing.

This can make the difference between meeting your training goals in a matter of days or waiting for months as frustration takes hold. And with a convenient, consolidated interface, a single trainer can do the work of many almost effortlessly. Simply review the metrics and connect with learners where and when they need you.

5. It's More Customizable

With virtual training, you'll have no outdated workbooks or grading sheets to worry about. The material you use to train your team is endlessly extensible and can be customized to your exact needs. The right training platform is so granular, you could even develop materials suited to individuals.

Some of your team members may be more "techy" than others. In a few clicks, you can set up assessments just for them to learn the cutting-edge features of your real estate CRM. On the other hand, some may prefer learning with a group. Scheduling group sessions is easy, and learners can still study on their own time.

The best technology solutions are those that adapt to the needs of their users, not the other way around. A high degree of customization is one of the key marks of quality for a real estate virtual training platform. Your team will feel supported and your platform will be a seamless extension of your brand's promise.

DeltaNET® Offers Fresh Opportunities to Leverage Virtual Training For Your Team

If you're a Delta Media Group® customer, your brokerage can already benefit from all this and more.

DeltaNET Academy is free, interactive, and enables you to review records and results at any time. Just like the rest of the AI-driven DeltaNET suite, it has been developed with feedback from agents and brokers throughout the United States. Now is the perfect time to see what your colleagues are raving about.

With DeltaNET Academy, agents can log in at any time to learn the latest skills and stay sharp. There's no need to schedule large events or tap trainers to provide assistance or supervision. The asynchronous model allows the learner and trainer to collaborate effectively from anywhere, even when they are not logged in together.

Ready to take your training to the next level? Virtual training is the answer. Brokerages that embrace virtual training today will be poised to lead the industry tomorrow.