Who doesn’t love the holidays? The smell of pine trees fills the snowy air, and the twinkling lights and gorgeous window displays beckon you into the stores’ welcoming doors. It’s a time of year when we all get the warm and fuzzy feels.
Throughout the holiday season, however, you’ll inevitably receive notification after notification on your phone from businesses wishing you a happy holiday season, often in the most impersonal ways.
Listen up, fellow agents, let’s do this right.
Don’t be that agent who sends generic emails to “clients” you only spoke to once a few years ago. The wrong holiday messaging will have your clients rolling their eyes and moving on without much thought or remembrance of you.
The holidays give you an excellent avenue to stay in front of your clients. They’re an easy excuse to get together or, better yet, send a gift. But you clearly don’t want to annoy your clients. Here are the do’s and don’ts of marketing over this joyous season!
Don’t
1. Send a generic email
Clients can tell when you sent a message to 300 other people. Make it as personal as possible. Bring up a memory or something special you’ve gone through together.
Most of my clients choose to stick with me as their designated broker because I remember the little things like if they have a dog, where they’re from, their birthdays and more. You can easily track these details in a customer relationship management (CRM) platform, if you’re not already.
If you’ve shared a lot of time with a client they deserve beyond a generic email.
2. Send your personal (family) holiday cards to your clients
I say this with some hesitation. If you’ve developed a close relation to your client, then yes, go ahead and mail that holiday card. But, if you only had a strict professional relationship with your clients, they don’t need to see your kids.
I like to keep family and business separate, so that I am seen in a professional light. On the contrary, if you made a holiday card with your team or company, absolutely send it.
3. Post rowdy photos from your holiday party
If you’re a social media-driven agent like myself, then we already know all your social media channels are public (which I strongly suggest they should be for you to spread the word about your one true love, real estate).
Be careful about what you post! No one wants to see you and your co-workers taking shots from the ice luge, even though it might be totally awesome, keep it off Instagram.
I like to keep it classy and clean especially when I have no idea who’s watching. It’s just like you were taught as a child, once it’s on the internet, it’s out there forever!
Do’s
1. Keep it personal
People love to feel special, and they love when they know something is designed for them. Go above and beyond, and send your client something physical. Even if it’s a cute coffee mug or a gift basket.
Think outside of the box, what are your clients not expecting to receive for the holidays? I promise the unique gift you get them will stay at the top of their minds.
Better yet, they’ll tell their friends and family, and when their friends and family need to move, they’re going to think of you as the sweet agent who gifted them. Think with me here, it’s all a domino effect in the career that keeps on giving.
2. Budget
Maybe you reached your goal of deals done this year, and you’re ready to put some money back in your business. Do put some money toward holiday gifts.
I like to send those I call my “VIP clients” something personalized or special. Preplan how much you will put away for your holiday gift-giving budget, and you’ll feel more organized and avoid veering off the plan on a tangent and spending way too much on presents.
3. Provide something useful in your emails
I get emails from agents all day, regardless of holiday time or not. I love to see an email that doesn’t just talk about their open house but something interesting to catch my attention.
For example, one broker emailed me about Christmas Light Shows around the city, and I thought that was so clever and fun.
Another broker emailed me about local ways you can get involved and give back in the city. Even though the local soup kitchen was right by his exclusive, I thought it was so clever to incorporate it in his email blast.
Remember! The holidays are the best time to be in front of your clients. The worst thing you can do is not reach out at all. Most important is that you reach out and show some love.
Keep it classy on social media, and be sure to put a budget aside for some gift-giving to those “VIP clients.”
Elana Delafraz is a licensed real estate salesperson with REAL New York. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
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