Cyndee Haydon, CRS, reveals how ChatGPT helps strengthen her client relationships
Before there was real estate, Cyndee Haydon, CRS, began her career in technology. She and her husband moved to Madeira Beach, Florida in 1991 for their joint careers at IBM. The pair left their roles at IBM to pursue full-time careers in real estate in 2005. “We thought, what can we do that interest us with technology backgrounds?” says Haydon, broker associate at Sandbars to Sunsets Team of Future Home Realty. “It was kind of the perfect storm back [then]. It was the beginning of REALTORS® being able to go direct to consumer with video, social media and blogging.”
Since then, Haydon and her husband have spent nearly 20 years growing their real estate business. With a degree in computer science, Haydon finds it integral to implement technology into her real estate business. As developments in artificial intelligence continue to emerge, Haydon welcomes these new tools into her practice and shares her knowledge with fellow REALTORS®.
Enriching connections with AI
Over the last 40 years, Haydon lists four great technological advances society has had to navigate—the invention of the personal computer, the internet, the smartphone and now ChatGPT. “In 2005 when we used technology, we used it to leverage and attract clients,” says Haydon. “With ChatGPT, where I found it’s superpower is in helping me to be a better communicator and build a deeper connection with my clients and peers.”
One recent example was when Haydon dealt with an unhappy buyer who was referred to her by a CRS member. This buyer felt like some of the information the seller’s agent shared with them was incorrect and they were agitated with the process. Haydon knew that she had to offer this client the care and support they needed. She went to ChatGPT and typed in the exact message and tone she wanted and sent her client a well-crafted email that offered empathy and clarity.
“Instantaneously, they said, ‘That’s why you’re the best!’” says Haydon. “It went from a moment where someone is unhappy and may not even buy the house back to not just being happy, but referable. To me, that is the perfect marriage of technology.”
Haydon says if REALTORS® are using AI to make it so they don’t have to engage with their clients, then they are missing the boat. “I often joke that I’m high-touch and I’m high-tech,” she adds, calling ChatGPT her million-dollar assistant—it takes away the busy work and offers her more time to pick up the phone, visit her clients and do the tried-and-true practices that add value to her business. It not only improved her communication but has also bettered her planning and content creation.
ChatGPT is not only for crafting a great sentence or two—many agents can use this tool to brainstorm new ways to engage with clients and peers. A recent question Haydon asked the chatbot was “Give me 10 ideas for a client event for 20 people under $1,000.” ChatGPT then provided her with a list of 10 unique client-facing events, one of which was a cooking class. She loved the idea and followed up with more questions such as, “Give me a detailed timeline,” to help formulate a plan of action.
Like any tool, ChatGPT can foster great success for a REALTOR® when utilized correctly. As Haydon’s success has demonstrated, it’s all about the prompts, asking the right questions and having the words, style and tone speak to who you are as a person and agent.
As technology continues to evolve, it’s imperative that agents are willing to adapt. “I think the one thing we can guarantee is that the future is going to belong to those who are life learners,” says Haydon.
Passionate pursuits
After decades of developing several expertise, Haydon finds fulfillment in using her knowledge to guide her clients and educate other agents. In her market, she is an expert in probate, relocation, resort and waterfront properties and is passionate about insurance and affordability.
All her niches have grown out of problem solving. “It came out of wanting my clients to be successful and wanting to learn all I could to give them great information,” says Haydon. Growing up, Haydon’s mother was a teacher, and she feels, in some ways, being a REALTOR® is how she can teach, consult and guide others. So much of what she does comes from passion and vocation. “I think that when you lead with a giving hand, it comes back to you.”
The advice she offers REALTORS® is to assess what benefits your business and invest your time and energy in it. Do not feel the need to jump on the latest trends or work with clients if they are not right for you.
“A lot of burnout comes from trying to put a square peg into a round hole. The point is it doesn’t fit,” says Haydon. “One of the best lessons I learned early on is that not everybody is meant for me [and] to save that energy and be that person for the people that appreciate it. That makes what I do very rewarding.”
Being a lifelong learner
Haydon received her CRS Designation in 2018. She reflects how it was phenomenal education from instructors like Kim Knapp, CRS, that drew her to the organization. Coming from a market where 95% of her business is repeat and referrals, it was important for Haydon to connect with agents she’d feel comfortable referring her clients to.
“CRSs are lifelong learners by nature, and I think that’s part of what connects and binds us,” says Haydon. “I [also] think that CRSs are the types of people where if it’s going to make a difference, we’re going to figure it out.”
Whether it’s ChatGPT or the latest listing strategies, RRC members and CRSs are great at being the first to learn, implement and innovate. It’s this quality that makes attending RRC events such as Sell-a-bration® and webinars a thrilling experience for Haydon, who hosted her first RRC webinar on ChatGPT this past July.
Haydon is involved with RRC on the local level, acting as Florida RRC Network Director in 2021 and Membership Leader in 2022. She is the current Chair of the National Association of REALTORS® Insurance Committee where she is a recognized champion for insurance issues.
When it comes to involvement, Haydon says, “you get what you put into it.” For her, RRC is the chance to be a part of a learning-based community where members have an abundance mentality.
“They say you become the five people you hang around with,” says Haydon. “When the top two percent can continue to give to each other and the organization, I think that’s the recipe for our success in the future.”
