A great dinner, a great movie, a great listing … what makes something great? A lot of factors, right? But when we talk about something being great, it has everything to do with the experience, not with the thing itself.
Greatness lives in the engaging experience of a meal, the enjoyable experience of a movie and all those little surprising and heartfelt moments that enhance a client’s homebuying or selling experience.
And still, when we talk about being “great at what we do” or running a “great business,” we immediately leap to results, skipping over experiences. “Hey, we sold it right? Why are you crying?”
How aligned are your goals with those of your clients? What experience do your clients have and what can you do to improve it so significantly that “you” become the positive and memorable experience?
Surely the repeat and referral business you could generate is worth extra consideration, right? So let’s take a look at some key factors that drive a truly positive and memorable experience.
Immediately demonstrate purpose and value
Show your stuff right off the bat. As you walk up and greet your clients with a smile and extended hand, introduce yourself and clearly remind them of what you are going to do. “Hi, I’m Kathy and I’m going to sell your home.”
This boldness will be rewarded long after the home is sold, when you’ve demonstrated that you’re the doer (look out for Kathy, lackluster agents)!
Ask emotionally-driven questions
It’s easy to assume that asking questions comes across as not knowing the answers. But, more often than not, your clients will feel more engaged and involved if you follow up each statement you make with a question, especially an emotional one that addresses their feelings.
Try it on for size. “This is a beautiful property and I don’t think it’ll be listed for long before we start receiving bids,” you might say. “Are you comfortable making the move here in the next few months?”
In this statement, you’ve complimented their investment, demonstrated confidence in your service, commented on the property’s position in the market, set expectations and addressed their comfort level in the form of an emotionally-driven question. Efficient, professional, heartfelt — memorable.
Own it
What good is a memorable experience if clients forget it? Think shiny objects, shiny objects. Never underestimate the power that small but meaningful tokens have on instilling a positive experience in your clients’ eyes.
A postcard photo of their new home the day they close with the caption, “Here’s to your next chapter in life!” can respark the emotional connection you worked so hard to establish. With a bit of humility and gratitude, remind them of their time with you. You delivered a positive memorable experience — own it.
No one knows your business like you do, but hopefully these tips will help you keep the endgame in mind.
Yes, closing the deal is paramount, but your list of happy clients anchors your long-term business. Everything leading up to the creation of that list has been an opportunity. This aligns with the juice at the core of real estate and the heart of our message: establishing positive, long-term memorable relationships will generate more business.
As a real estate technology disruptor, you might think we at Offrs have our hands full with more technical considerations, but user experience is at the heart of everything we do — that focus is visible in our latest solutions suite.
From our home valuation experience at HouseValueReport.com to our home listing experience at offrs.com, we’re all about cultivating a great experience. Making the experience memorable makes you memorable. Can real estate tools and services be results-driven while still easy and memorable? Unequivocally, yes!