As a real estate agent, your reputation is a crucial element of your success. Since it is far more difficult and expensive to acquire new clients, you need to do everything in your power to transition your newest clients into lifelong clients. Not only will their repeat business help you grow, but their positive reviews and referrals will help usher in new waves of business. However, before any of that can happen, you need to leave a lasting and positive impact on them. Here are three ways to do that every time.
Build A Personal Relationship
Since the obvious nature of your relationship with your clients is a tremendous business transaction, it is only natural to fall into a business relationship. However, it is important that you allow your clients to experience a more human side of you and build a stronger bond if you want them to feel a strong sense of loyalty.
Finding ways to spend time with them outside of the properties is a great way to do this. For example, if you are working with buyers, you should make a point of stopping for lunch or dinner when showing a series of properties. Be sure to show an interest in them and their interests and allow them to do the same.
Provide Unparalleled Customer Service
Time and time again, NAR reports that buyers and sellers alike are in search of a real estate agent that will provide them stellar customer service. In fact, it is often named as one of their top three priorities. However, what might be considered white-glove service to some, could be average to others.
In general, you should always provide the following points of service:
- Be proactive in your communication about upcoming appointments and time-sensitive matters that affect the transaction
- Be completely honest and transparent
- Promptly answer calls, texts, and emails as soon as possible
- Always do your best to protect them and help them achieve goals that are in their best interest, not your own
Of course, there are other ways that you can go above and beyond like providing staging services, driving your clients around to showings, using professional vendors like videographers, and many others. However, consistently being open, honest, and forthcoming will help your clients feel more comfortable relying on you in this pivotal moment in their lives.
Leave Them With A Lasting Reminder
Finally, it is important to put some real thought into your closing gifts. If you are anything like most real estate agents, selecting the perfect closing gift for your clients is painstaking. That is why so many agents take the easy way out and buy simple, consumable gifts like a bottle of wine.
However, the problem with consumable gifts is that they fail to provide a lasting reminder of all that you did to help your clients achieve their goal. In other words, you can’t expect something like a bottle of wine to flood your pipeline with referrals. Gifts like that don’t do you or your clients any favors. Instead, you need to select closing gifts (like these) that are valuable, practical, last forever, and help you stay front of mind with your clients so that they return and refer business.