It's not secret that real estate is a business built on lasting relationships. How are those relationships built though? Here are four key strategies that we will be covering.
Don’t focus your relationships with clients just on sales. Build relationships with your sphere based on respect, trust, and knowledge. The clients will come to see you as a resource and a partner, that they will continually want to use.
- Communicate - Before, during, and after a transition. Current clients like to know what’s going on, even if it’s just a brief phone call or regular email. Continued contact with previous clients keeps you top-of-mind and continues to build your reputation. Focus your communications with former clients on two topics:
- Personal touches: home anniversary mailers, season’s greetings cards, and a “I always appreciate your business” gifts that clients can continue to use are all good way of reminding.
- Useful information: prove yourself to still be a valuable market resource 10 or 15 years after your last transaction. Former clients will be much more likely to think of you when they need an agent.
- Be Honest - Transactions encounter hiccups. Sometimes you’re not the right agent for a job. Deals can fall through. In all these cases, your first instinct might be to sugarcoat the facts for your clients to protect them from disappointment or dissatisfaction. Don’t. This just sets you up for awkward explanations and possible accusations later on. When hard conversations come up, have them, and you’ll build a reputation for straight-talking and centering clients’ best interests.
- Get Active in Your Community - Nothing builds trust in your reliability, and useful community connects, like showing up. If you can contribute to a couple of local charities or programs, and then highlight them on your website. Volunteer for community activities, and greet people that you know. This isn’t about getting looking for clients; it’s about getting your name out there as a valuable, committed community member. Be visible, but don’t oversell yourself.
- Respect Everyone’s Time - No matter who you’re working with, a client, a vendor, a colleague, take their time and efforts seriously. Don’t be late. Don’t run meetings overtime. Thank them for the time they’ve shared with you. This makes others feel valued and respected, which will raise you in their esteem.
You need to think of your clients as more than just revenue sources. If you want to impress your clients and make them remember you fondly for years to come, treat them as such.
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