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Takeaways:
- Utilize technology as best as you can but maintain face-to-face communication and a personal touch as much as possible.
- Task out things that are best handled by others so there are fewer mistakes and processes are streamlined.
- Be a friendly face that someone can trust and feel comfortable with from start to finish.
SAN FRANCISCO — No agent is the same. Whether it’s taking a systematic approach or having a friendly face, real estate agents can up the ante for their customer service by simply looking at the buying and selling process from their own perspective.
Brian Bair
Brian Bair with Bair Group takes a systematic approach to communicating with clients.
Bair Group has a trademark concierge service, which handles everything in the home listing process from start to finish, including landscaping, housecleaning, debris removal and more — complimentary to all listing clients. The “concierge circle” started with high-end, multimillion-dollar homes, but after having such success with the program it trickled down to all homes no matter the price.
With about 10 staff members and a customized technology system in-house, Bair Group uses tools to keep tasks in line but provides superior service with the philosophy of overcommunicating with people.
He says to be a professional but also a friendly face someone can trust. It’s smart to be wary of how technologies work and not to rely too much on those platforms and automation services.
Nancy Braun with Showcase Realty started in real estate about 20 years ago and has a very analytical perspective on the real estate process. In an effort to increase her business after continuously plateauing at 60 transactions a year, she says she took a look at how to use different systems to properly enforce and follow tasks.
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Work less, delegate more, make fewer mistakes and create a better experience for the client, she says. For Nancy’s team, utilizing a CRM is a huge deal that enables e-blasts, text blasts and other communications as needed. Systems help to stay on top of deadlines and vital tasks, and everything should be tasked out so that every detail is attended to, and the right people are handling the right tasks.
She suggests to always have a closing plan, too, which should include picking up the phone, sending out a handwritten note, and then setting up a soft email drip campaign with helpful tips and information.
With the follow-up notes, she suggests agents send out links to review-based websites so they can easily share their experience with other potential future clients.
Debbi DiMaggio
Debbi DiMaggio from Highland Partners looks at the process entirely different, handling pretty much everything herself. Describing herself as a go-getter, she works closely with her clients and micromanages tasks and duties on her own to ensure the clients are really taken care of from start to finish.
Her nurturing personality and the “Sicilian mother” in her, she says, is what drives her to really take care of clients. She takes the client around in her car, especially if they are new to the community, for a neighborhood tour to develop a relationship and build rapport. Open houses are another opportunity she capitalizes on to meet and greet with others.
Community events and gathering such as their weekly “Workshop Wednesday” with speakers and lunch gives locals an option to come in to meet and learn. It’s also important to share on social sites and promote around town.
