When you work by referral, excellent client service is your calling card.
Your real estate clients want more than someone who will sell their home or help them buy a new one; they want someone who will guide them through the process, ease their anxiety, answer their questions and become their trusted adviser.
In short, they want a full-service experience.
However, many real estate agents focus only on getting through the transaction rather than building the foundation of a lasting relationship with their clients.
Once the transaction is over, they’re back to chasing cold leads instead of asking for referrals from their great clients.
Excellent service is the foundation of working by referral. If you want to serve your clients long after the contract ink has dried, follow these tips.
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Keep clients in the loop
Clients are hungry for knowledge, so give them what they want. Feed them information on topics including real estate issues, homeownership, the local market, buying and selling tips and even information about upcoming local events.
The more valuable information you provide, the more they’ll come to rely on you.
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Share your expertise
Even before clients put their home on the market, offer a free comparative market analysis (CMA) to see how their home stacks up against others that have sold in the area.
Then, offer advice to help them increase their home’s value, should they decide to list it in the future.
If you have clients who are just starting to think about buying a home, connect them with a reputable lender to get pre-approved for a mortgage.
Also, when you work with your clients, make it a point to walk them through the process; after all, they’ll only go through it a handful of times.
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When they know what will happen, they can gauge their expectations accordingly and have a better experience. Although it seems simple, taking the time to go the extra mile throughout the transaction will help you build relationships with your clients.
Sharpen your skills
The sharper your skills, the better service you’ll be able to offer to your clients.
Your skill set not only includes your knowledge and expertise about the market and real estate process, it also includes your listening, negotiation and leadership skills.
Keeping these techniques fresh will set you apart from your competition. Attend a workshop or class, read books that fill in your knowledge gaps or lean into a mentor.
When you deliver great service to your clients, they’ll trust you enough to refer you to their family and friends.
These referrals create the reliable stream of warm leads that are sure to drive your business.
Remember, it’s the relationships you build that determine your success and help you live the good life.
You don’t need fancy gadgets and apps to thrive, you need consistent communication with your clients, great service — and remember, you have to ask for those referrals.
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Brian Buffini is the chairman and founder of Buffini & Company. You can follow Brian and Buffini & Company on Facebook.