Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Word of mouth is extremely important to any business, but it is especially important for real estate agents. Although repeat clients are a possibility, most people don’t shop for new houses very often. Instead, you have to rely on your clients to refer you whenever one of their friends or family members is looking for a new home.
That means being the kind of real estate agent that your clients want to recommend. Unfortunately, real estate agents can get kind of a bad rap.
How do you rise above the rest and become the kind of real estate agent that people trust enough to refer you to their friends and family?
Your clients want to know that you’re serious about your job. They want to know you spend a lot of time researching the homes in the area that are for sale—it’s not just some part-time job you do for fun. One way you can demonstrate to your clients that you’re serious and knowledgeable is by building a custom real estate app.
Your app is completely under your control, unlike other national home buying apps. You can provide quality information to your clients about homes for sale, and you can communicate with them easily. With just one click, an interested home buyer can give you a call, and with push notifications, you can be in constant contact with them about homes in their area.
Customer service is everything in real estate. Many realtors lose sight of the customer experience by making sales their number one priority. It might get you a sale in the moment, but it isn’t going to get you very many referrals.
Honesty should be an integral part of your approach to customer service. That means being transparent about fees, and it means being honest about the homes your buyer is interested in.
As an experienced realtor, you may notice that the roof needs to be replaced while touring the home with a client, but they probably won’t. Although you may be tempted to hold your tongue in order to make a sale, it’s better to make the buyer aware of any potential problems during the tour. That builds trust, and trust ultimately results in better sales and referrals.
Buying a house isn’t something most of us do very often. That means most home buyers are extremely inexperienced. They’re relying on your experience to make the process as pleasant as possible.
Go above and beyond to be helpful, even if it isn’t technically your job. For example, there are a lot of great first-time homebuyer programs available that can help your clients save thousands of dollars. Although it’s technically the lender’s job to notify the buyer of their options, you can help them make sure they choose the right lender by making them aware of all of their options before they sign their mortgage.
It’s all about going above and beyond when it comes to obtaining referrals from your existing clients. That means providing value above and beyond what they expect from a realtor.
One way to do that is to create a blog on your website. Blogging can provide you with many benefits, including increased referrals, but it can offer a lot to home buyers too. Choose topics that make buying and moving into a home easier. For example, write blog articles on:
Realtors get into the real estate business because the hours are flexible. Unfortunately, that also means you have to be available in the evenings and on weekends.
Although it’s true that you deserve a little time away, it’s also true that you need to be available to your clients. Fortunately, technology makes communication easier than ever!
Allow clients to text you their questions, make sure you answer when they call, and be available to give a tour of a home in the evening. If you need a little time away, let your clients know that email is the best way to get a hold of you for a few days.
With a constant stream of referrals, you don’t have to spend all your time searching for new clients. Follow the tips on this list and you may never have to search for brand-new clients ever again!
