In an industry racing to automate, Barry Plant Eastern Group Managing Director and Auctioneer Spiro Drossos is advocating for something much simpler – something that’s always been at the heart of good real estate: human connection.
“This is not an impersonal market,” Spiro says. “It’s not a bag of chips we’re talking about – it’s someone’s wholehearted and financial investment. We have to treat it with care.”
Spiro believes the rise of automation and reliance on tech platforms is creating distance at the exact moment real estate professionals need to lean in.
“There’s too much tech stack now in our businesses. Too many things are automated that are taking away from the true relationship.”
One of the most obvious pain points is the breakdown between vendor and agent communication.
Many sellers are clinging to outdated price expectations, hoping for post-COVID highs to return, and resisting advice on where the market really sits.
“They believe interest rates are the whole reason the market will bounce,” he explains.
“But it’s not just interest rates – it’s cost of living pressures, external factors, buyers being conservative. Sometimes we see a vendor reject a strong offer on auction day, only to come back weeks later and accept $40,000 less. The next offer isn’t always better.”
This disconnect has forced Spiro’s team to rethink how they communicate. The solution wasn’t more data or fancier reports. It was less formality, more honesty – and better conversations.
“We’ve gone through a process of ‘de-realestating’ our communication,” he says.
“We used to be so scripted. People couldn’t relate to that. We’ve worked really hard to create dialogue that’s human to human … clear, simple and logical.”
Part of that approach includes a shift in terminology. They no longer talk about “vendor management.” Now, it’s “vendor care.”
And care, in practice, often looks like a spontaneous check-in rather than a scheduled meeting.
“We call it the pop-in strategy. Just turning up for a coffee and a 10-minute update. Letting the client know we’ve got their back, that we’re working hard, that we care. No slideshows, no presentations, just a conversation.”
This change in tone extends to appraisals too: “People used to give you an hour. Now you’re delivering the key information during the property tour. You’ve got less time and need to connect quickly and informally.”
That emphasis on connection is just as important internally.
Spiro is acutely aware that today’s sales environment can feel like a grind compared to the high-flying days of the COVID boom.
“We’ve got agents who were thriving when everything was selling fast. Now they’re in a more normalised market and having to grind. We’ve had to support them, motivate them, and reframe expectations. This is what steady growth looks like.”
He also acknowledges the generational gap in how newer agents communicate.
“Younger agents are so used to text and email, some are almost fearful of picking up the phone. But if you’re not having real conversations, you’re not building relationships—and that makes you easy to replace.”
In Spiro’s view, the ability to communicate personally – by phone, in person, or even with a quick video message – isn’t optional. It’s foundational.
And when email takes over? His team has a rule: “More than two emails? Make a call.”
This principle has shaped decisions across the business, even in property management. After taking over a large PM portfolio, Spiro found a sleek automated system was actually undermining service.
“Everything was automated – rent increases, maintenance requests, updates. But there was no connection. So we switched platforms to one that had great tech but still required the property manager to do the communication. It’s not about adding more tech. Sometimes it’s about removing it.”
Communication preferences, too, are never assumed.
“We always ask the client how they want to be contacted. Younger clients might prefer a message. But overwhelmingly, people still want a phone call and a real voice.”
That human voice carries through to post-sale relationships. Spiro’s team doesn’t rely on awards or slogans to stay front-of-mind.
They focus on useful, relevant content that adds value.
“Market updates, local pricing—it’s information-based marketing, not awards-based marketing. People remember you if you’ve added value, not if you’ve won something.”
The point, he says, is not to resist technology altogether. “We’re not anti-tech. You can still use it well—like video messages, for example. But the second tech starts replacing the human side, that’s where the danger is.”
As the industry grapples with change, Spiro believes a reset is overdue.
“We’ve gone so far forward with automation that now we need to go back the other way. Not to being old-fashioned, but to being connected.”