Anyone who chooses real estate as a career will quickly come to find that the business isn’t unlike nearly every other one when it comes to one standard, fundamental truth. That truth is that customer service is of paramount importance for every aspect of what makes you, your business, and your brand successful in the market. Learn to to do it well and you’ll thrive. Fail to do it well and you’ll struggle extensively. It’s as simple as that.
Here at Real Estate Leads, it’s been very enjoyable for us to watch our online real estate lead generations system be so helpful for realtors in Canada. It allows those who are newer to the industry to get so much more out of the resources they put into prospecting, and it’s designed to target prospective clients right where you’re focusing your efforts.
While such technologies are great, they won’t go far in helping create actual customers if your customer service isn’t what it needs to be. In real estate, however, good customer service is a little bit different, as the customer doesn’t directly pay for your services. Determining where the line is between service provider and customer can be a little trickier.
Despite the additional challenge, developing strong customer service habits is important. Here’s what we suggest to make sure your clients see you as a service-first and accountable real estate agent right from the get go.
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Amp Up Your Friendliness
A pay scale that separates good agents from mediocre ones is non-existent. That’s accomplished through sheer skill and positive personality traits. Want to attract higher-income clients? You’ll need to offer a higher level of service.
Being extremely friendly is a great place to start, but make sure you keep it natural. People want a realtor they can trust, which isn’t surprising they are making one of the biggest purchases of their lives. Coming across as genuinely friendly and sincere goes a long way towards sending the message that you can be that trustworthy source.
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Communicate with Real Clarity
Anyone with a paralyzing fear of picking up the phone is going to find that real estate agent isn’t the career for them. You must be able to communicate confidently, clearly, and frequently if you’re going to be well regarded as a realtor. Make sure you’re also proficient with sending professionally worded emails, checking in frequently, and connecting / promoting via social media.
Further it’s important to be able to get your point across in every message you send. Use clear, concise language and be very direct and to the point, even if it’s not what they client is going to want to hear. ‘Sugar coating’ anything is NEVER a good idea, and you should also avoid wordiness while leaving room for questions at the end.
Clear, objective communication is huge for realtors
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Connect Where Your Customers Are
Realtors these days need to establish an online presence, and this doesn’t only mean having your listings posted online. You need to connect with your clients where they are, and in today’s increasingly digital world that’s often on social media.
Don’t evaluate posting you listings on social sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as being an optional move. See it as being necessary, as in today’s world customers like to know they can connect with you with all the immediacy, and intimacy, of doing so through social media.
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Build Strong Relationships
As suggested above, you really are a key player in some of the biggest moments of your clients’ lives. Proving that you’re trustworthy and reliable enough to do business with is essential. Take the time to build relationships and you and become that trusted advisor and source of knowledge and expertise.
Start by showing a passion for your chosen field. Ask customers non-prying questions about their personal lives and refer to their answers later. Reward long-term clients with gratitude and gift baskets. These are only a couple of ideas for solidifying relationships that can last for years, and once you start trying a few of them they tend to continue to come to you quite naturally – as long as you continue to put a sufficient amount of effort into the process!
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Listen & Be Receptive to Client Needs
Avoid doing all the talking, and in fact avoid doing most of the talking even. Allowing clients plenty of time to share their concerns, needs, and demands during the entire home buying and selling process is very conducive to them seeing you as a service-first realtor. And be an active listener, one that weighs the information given in full and then works to anticipate that client’s current and projected needs in finding them their right home.
Other good guidelines include not interrupting the client when he or she is talking, giving them a little more open space during conversations to finish what they have to say in full, and asking questions that promote feedback directly.
Our last tip for today harkens to our blog post from 2 weeks backl listen to more than just words. Watching and understanding their body language can be very effective for understanding and accommodating your clients more thoroughly. Naturally, that’s a huge plus for the way they’ll associate you with great customer service from a realtor.
Sign up with Real Estate Leads here and receive a monthly quota of qualified, online-generated leads for buyers and / or sellers living nearby to where you practice real estate in Canada. You’re nearly guaranteed to have more in the way of opportunities to create clients for yourself, and who’s not going to like the sound of that? Try us out, you’ll be glad you made the investment in your business!
