While good, old-fashioned customer service is certainly essential to impressing real estate clients, the best brokers employ a number of strategies that differentiate them from the rest of the competition. By starting your relationships with clients with effective communication and building trust and confidence, you can take them to the next level with these easy hints.
Connect Them to Businesses You Trust
In his bestselling book Never Eat Alone, author and master networker Keith Ferrazzi said that “I’ve come to believe that connecting is one of the most important business — and life — skill sets you’ll ever learn”. This is because people will flat out do business with people they know and like. You know your community and the people in it, and have probably built up a database of local service providers, craftspeople, contractors and other suppliers. Put them in touch with the best professional networking contacts you know.
Give Them Your Business
Don’t feel obliged, but if your customers have a service you can use, why not use it? It’s a great way to deepen relationships. It’s another Ferazzi concept called “pinging”. Simply put – stay in touch. You do not need to send a birthday card every year, but if you need new tires and you remember that one of your customers is selling tires – take the opportunity to contact them.
Help Them Network
In real estate, you’ll learn more about community issues, life and the impact of government. Use your knowledge to become an expert. Talk to your real estate clients about social groups, gyms, Facebook groups they should be a part of and more. Better still, introduce them to people you know in the area. Especially for those who are new to the area, you can be a lifeline and help them establish themselves in the community.
Send Over Dinner on Moving Day
The last thing on their mind is dinner when they are trying to make their new house ready to live in. Have pizza or some other meal delivered. To make sure you send them something they like, casually ask what their favorite food is without giving away your plans. This kind of service will lead to more customer referrals.
Welcome Them Home
Leave a welcome basket and a gift card at a local restaurant, with the message “When you’ve finished unpacking, it’s time to enjoy!”.
Offer Them a Tour of the Community
If they’re new to the area, spend an afternoon with them, making sure you show them all the hot spots and sights.
Provide Them With a “Best of …” Bag
Include gift cards and coupons for the community’s best restaurants, salons, attractions and more.
Remember Significant Events
Send a birthday card, a gift for a new baby, school supplies for kids or find some other way to acknowledge an important day for clients.
Hire a Cleaning or Moving Crew
Talk about how to take the burden off your customers’ shoulders. Send someone in to clean the home from top to bottom, or offer them an extra pair of hands to move all their stuff in.
Bring in a Professional Organizer
In a house filled of boxes, the organizer can direct them on how to unpack everything strategically so that the house is as neat as possible when clients first move in.
Offer Them a Basket of Essentials
Stock up the laundry basket with toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning products, sponges, hand towels, toiletries, paper plates and other items that clients might need in the first days of move in.
Send Them to Local Attractions
Buy tickets to the local zoo, museum, comedy club or other activities like to a golf course, spa, pool or gym. It’s not only a way to say ‘thank you’ but it also encourages them to get out and enjoy the community.
Let us know in the comment section how you wow your clients as a real estate agent.
