As a real estate agent, relationship building is critical. Getting to know your customers and cultivating relationships with them ensures that you will better understand their needs, better deliver on what they want and create connections that help your business. Most people prefer to do business with someone who takes the time to listen to them and understand their needs. And they are happy to refer others to this type of agent as well.
Get to Know Your Clients and Prospects
Some agents only scratch the surface when it comes to getting to know their clients. And because they don’t take enough time getting to know them, some agents can’t easily meet their clients’ needs. When agents aren‘t invested enough in the client-agent relationship, the client is sure to feel disappointed with the amount of confusion and wasted time it takes to achieve a satisfactory result.
To get to know your clients better, avoid asking questions that generate a quick yes or no answer. These questions don’t reveal much about the client and probably won’t help you meet his needs quickly and efficiently. Instead, ask questions that require your clients to provide more descriptive answers and allow you insight into what they really consider most important.
Here are some questions that might help you better understand your clients’ needs:
What are the primary reasons for your move?
What do you consider most important about your home purchase?
What is most important about this sale?
How are you expecting this move to benefit you?
How would you describe your past experiences with real estate agents?
How can I make your life easier?
What do you expect of me?
What worries you most about this sale/purchase?
Listen to Your Clients
Real estate clients want to work with an agent who is genuinely interested in them. If you listen with only half an ear, your clients will eventually catch on and feel dissatisfied with your relationship. Even worse, you will miss important information that your client shares, and without it, fail to meet her expectations.
Though it’s important to listen well and gather information, it is far from your only job. Buying or selling a home is stressful for most people. As an experienced agent, you have the ability to comfort your clients and help them feel less overwhelmed by the whole experience. Help them keep their peace of mind, and they will appreciate you for it.
Stay in Touch
Don’t just communicate with your clients when you have a potential buyer or a home to show. Reach out on a regular basis. You can do this by calling, emailing, sending newsletters or sending mailings every few weeks. This lets your clients know they are on your mind, and more importantly, it keeps you on their minds. What should you send? Always send relevant information that is of true value to your clients. Your clients want information that benefits them, so don’t go overboard with talking about yourself. Additionally, remember your clients’ important dates, such as birthdays, holidays, weddings, graduations and anniversaries. This is just one additional way to show you care.
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