Friday, October 11, 2024

customer relationships

    It’s been years, but I still remember my landlord — a real estate agent — calling me and asking if I knew anyone who wanted to buy or sell a home. At the time, I didn’t.

    More than that, I truly wanted to help him and felt bad I couldn’t. I genuinely liked the man, and, believe me, the next day, I kept my ears open for real estate chatter.

    Step one toward getting new referrals is to be a nice person people want to help. Step two? Ask for referrals.

    Ask everyone. Your sphere of influence then connects to their sphere, and each person you contact broadens your possible referral base exponentially.

    But that just covers the basics. There is so much more that agents can do to get more referrals.

    The Bedrock: Relationship Marketing

    According to author Mari Smith, relationship marketing emphasizes customer satisfaction and retention intending to build profitable long-term relationships.

    It differs from other forms of marketing by focusing more on the client relationship. Its key principle is client retention.

    The good news for the real estate agent is that relationship marketing is less expensive in the long run than other forms of marketing.

    “Acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing customer,” according to Taylor Landis at OutboundEngine.com.

    The Get More Referrals Series is shown to the left. To see more, Click Here.

    Who’s in your Database?

    If your database is populated with only former clients, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of business.

    You should have everyone you know in your CRM – from your hairdresser to your aunt Martha. If they’re breathing, they should be in there.

    Here’s why this is important: the relationship marketing approach also focuses on customizing your marketing efforts.

    In his book “Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable,” marketing whiz Seth Godin agrees and insists that you should “differentiate your customers … Find the group that’s most likely to influence other customers,” suggests Godin.

    It starts with asking the right question: “Who do you know who is looking to buy or sell a home?”

    If you’re looking for a CRM that allows you to send out direct mail marketing, look no further. We have a free CRM available for you on ProspectsPlus.com.

    Keep in touch with your prospects and sphere, and creating custom lists on the fly for targeted mailings. To learn more, Click Here.


    When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

    1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazin

    Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine with rich, full-color content and a sharp, professional aesthetic. It includes compelling, direct, response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts and engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you. Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card!Click Here

    2. The Free 6-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Planner

    The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 6-Month Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do and when. Four key market segments include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

    3. The Free Online Real Estate Business Plan

    The Real Estate Business Plan allows you to enter your business goals for the year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closings, and so on are needed to reach your financial goals.   – Click Here

    4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

    Ready to take a vertical leap in your real estate career? If you’re looking for inspiration…and the tools and methods to dominate a market and go to the top in real estate…you’ll find them in this free book. – Click Here

      The bare minimum. Every profession includes those who work just hard enough to be considered “doing their job.”  Real estate is, sadly, no exception.

      It’s the “list and pray” listing agents who feel a sign in the lawn and an MLS listing is sufficient. It’s the buyers’ agent who skips the counseling and doesn’t listen to the clients’ wants and needs in a new home.

      Agents like these cast a cloud over the profession, even though the real estate industry is populated with many customer-service-oriented agents who go the extra mile with each client.

      Take a look at some ideas contributed by agents with clients who love them.

      Explain EVERYTHING

      Buyer counseling is a vital aspect of your job. Buyers who understand the process and paperwork and are aware of some of the pitfalls they may face along the way are more relaxed. They are thus easier to work with and come out of the transaction feeling positive about their agent.

      Although we rarely see this same counseling suggested for sellers, it should be.

      Explain to your buying and/or selling clients, in detail:

      • The mortgage process, start to finish, in plain English
      • The entire selling or buying process
      • The paperwork they’ll be asked to sign
      • What is expected of them during the process (sellers need to leave the home, buyers should be punctual and respectful of the sellers’ time, etc.)
      • What happens at closing

      Then, ask what they expect of you. It’s hard to go above and beyond something you aren’t aware of.

      Service add-ons to consider

      Whether your client is the buyer or seller, they’ll both face the huge task of moving. You can make it easier on them while making yourself memorable.

      There are many things you can do, including turn your assistant into a concierge-for-a-day. Some of the services he or she can provide include:

      • Ensuring the utilities are scheduled to be turned off at the old home and on at the new.
      • Cancelling landscaping, pest control, pool and housekeeping services at the old home.
      • Draw up a list of the area’s best of everything, such as park, daycare, gym, veterinarian, plumber, electrician, gardener, restaurants, handy person. Find them on Yelp.com.
      • Supplying them with moving boxes. One agent we know has the boxes printed with her branding.
      Always provide updates

      If you only handle a few transactions at a time there really is no excuse for your clients to not receive update calls from you or your transaction coordinator.

      Keep them abreast of what’s happening with the transaction. Unresponsiveness is one of the things clients most complain about.

      For agents who handle many transactions simultaneously, consider purchasing client communication software that they can log into online and follow the transaction’s progress.

      The relationship shouldn’t end at closing

      Clients also appreciate a closing folder with all of the pertinent paperwork organized inside. Sure, they’ll receive one from the lender, but yours should be different—far more user-friendly. Include the listing, all marketing materials, and all paperwork involved in the transaction.

      Finally, plan at least one annual or biennial client appreciation event to help you remain top-of-mind with former clients. Going “above and beyond” is something to which many agents merely pay lip service. Make client satisfaction your top priority for each client and enjoy the payoff: Loyal, referring, and returning clients.

      Ready to add more clients to your roster? Launch a FARM, Fence Sitter Campaign in just minutes.

      They’re currently on sale 10% OFF the first month(sale ends 7/24/21).


      FARM, Fence Sitter Scheduled Campaign (shown above). Learn more, HERE


      TO LAUNCH A FARM, FENCE-SITTER CAMPAIGN:

      Hit “CLICK HERE”, below, to schedule your campaign (from a desktop or laptop computer).

      Use promo code: FENCE10 to save 10% off the first month.

      And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change each mailing up until the night before it goes out).

      Launch a FARM, Fence Sitter Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

      Please reach out to our support team at 866.405.3638 with questions or if there is anything we can do to help you with your success.


      PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

      1. The Free 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

      The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, Niche Marketing, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

      2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

      The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan allows you to enter your business goals for this year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closing, and so on are needed to reach your goals.  – Click Here

      3. Become a Neighborhood Brand

      Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically each month to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

      4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

      This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Real-Estate-Mailing-List-Guide2-3-D-999x1024.jpg

      The Real Estate Mailing List Guide outlines the top tools for generating targeted prospecting lists including Baby Boomers, Empty Nesters, Investors, Lifestyle Interests, High-Income Renters, Move-Up Markets, and more. The Guide also defines done-for-you marketing campaigns to match these markets. –Click Here

      5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

      This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

      Ready to take a vertical leap in your real estate career? If you’re looking for inspiration…and the tools and methods to dominate a market and go to the top in real estate…you’ll find them in this free book. – Click Here

      6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

      This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ROI-calculator-b-233x300.jpg

      Consistency and automation are the keys to success. Discover how effective direct mail marketing can dramatically increase your bottom line. Enter your statistics in our Free online ROI Calculator and click the ‘CALCULATE MY ROI’ button to see your results instantly! –Click Here

      7. The Free Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT” 

      This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is CRUSH-IT-Guide-3-d-298x300.jpg

      The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted prospect list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here