Reputation is Everything
Reputation is everything in this industry. That's why you should carefully consider who your brokerage of choice is. Their reputation locally, will speak volumes about you long before you actually meet a potential client.
Ask around. Find out what locals are saying about brokerages, big and small in your area. What reviews are agents getting who are already working with the brokerage? What are other agents saying about them? See if you or someone you know is already working with a real estate agent or thinking of moving. What do they look for in a Realtor? These are all important questions to ask.
Don't just ask what they like about working with a real estate agent, find out what they hate about it. The negative feedback will likely be more enlightening.
Dress For Success
People will undoubtedly judge you by the way you conduct yourself. I can't tell you how many times I hear agents complain how they cannot always tell an agent from a buyer when conducting an open house event. Agents often show up in shorts, ripped jeans, flip flops, etc.
Not only does this let down your reputation, it also screams, "I don't take my career seriously and neither should you!". Think about it. Do lawyers show up at court houses wearing shorts and jeans? They are taught to respect themselves and thier profession. So should you!
Your First Meeting
The very first time you meet with a homebuyer or seller should always be at your office. There are several good compelling reasons why:
- The client learns where your office is located and gets a quick tour.
- It weeds out the "tire kickers" and "time wasters" quickly because they will be less likely to take the time to meet with you first but don't mind asking you to waste your time showing them a house they are not ready to purchase.
- Nearly all brokerages today, are tastefully designed to impress your clients and that rubs off on you.
- All your paperwork, copiers, etc. are at hand when you need them.
- It gives you the opportunity to sit down and get to know each other. Encourage them to ask lots of questions.
- There are fewer distractions, so they can focus on you first and what you have to bring to the table.
- If a new home buyer is not yet working with a lender, see if you can arrange to have one there with you and walk them through the process of pre-approval.
- It's a safe environment. Introduce them to your broker, receptionist, etc. This will often dissuade the nefarious type who would rather get you alone in an empty house.
As you can see, these are all very compelling reasons to insist you meet your new clients at your brokerage first. It's very tempting to just go and meet a stranger at a house but in today's environment, not exactly the wisest of choices. Just take a look at your local MLS updates where agents often report
Your New Client Pack
You should always have a well-prepared and professional-looking client pack. In fact, you should have two at a minimum. One for homeowners who need to sell and another for home buyers. Your New Client Pack should include your logo and match your brand colors.
The information contained within should talk more about your brokerage, your team (admin, title agency, lender, etc) are all on hand to assist them every step of the way. It should also simply layout the process of buying and/or selling real estate and include a Buyer's Agency.
You can also include a list of resources, such as:
- Contractors, Painters, Plumbers, etc.
Moving Companies - Title Agency Info
- Lender Info
- Junk Removal
- Estate Sale Companies
How To Put Together A New Client Pack
Used to be that the only way to ensure your printed material looks professional with your branding was to hire a graphic designer. Thankfully, that's no longer the case. Now you can quickly purchase an editable template, add your logo, contact information, edit text and change out images so that it's perfect for you. Using a pre-designed template takes all the hard work out and saves you time and a whole lot of money.
The other good thing is that once you've branded the template, it's yours forever. You can download it and print it out as needed or you can get it printed professionally. Either way, the choice is yours.
Do Your Homework
Take the time to familiarize yourself with every listing you are showing. Beyond just the basics of square footage and the number of beds and baths, look for special features and/or HOA information. What does this property offer compared to others they have seen (or are about to see)?
Before leaving a property, I make sure to ask home buyers to list their pros and cons of the property. When I get back in the car, I take a minute to list them on the printed listing so I can refer to it later.
Go Above & Beyond
If your buyers ask to see a house, take them to also see one or two others in that same area. Look for new listings that just came up. If they are on a tight budget and you know they will struggle to compete, encourage them to look at homes that have been on the market longer. Take them over there and show them what they can get for their money. Far too many first-time homebuyers, get stuck on new listings and fail to consider older listings that may be a better fit for them.
This works with homeowners looking to sell. Currently, we are still in a sellers market and homeowners sometimes want to price their homes far too high to make it attractive to buyers.
Show Them...Don't Just Tell 'Em
The best way to bring a home seller down to earth is to show them what their competition looks like. Make it part of your listing presentation and be prepared to make set up a few showings for them either same day or within 24 hours. Leave the selling price blank until they've had a chance to process what you've shown them.
If a sellers property needs some cleanup, is a bit cluttered or needs a little updating, taking them to see other homes in their same price range can sometimes motivate the seller to do more prep work. Point out things like staging, cleanliness, and curb appeal make a big difference. When in doubt, tell them 'less is more'. Make yourself invaluable to them by sharing your resources for contractors, painters, junk removal, estate sales, etc.
Leverage Your Listing
Listings are a good source of new buyer leads, no question. When I meet with a buyer that has contacted me directly about my listing, my first question is "are you working with an agent?" After meeting with them at my office first and go over what we discussed earlier over the phone. I'll then take them over to my listing.
Because I know that statistically, these buyers are more likely to buy a different home than my listing, I'll also arrange to show them a few other listings in the same neighborhood or area. Especially if I believe that doing so will help solidify the value of my listing in the buyer's mind. I will, of course, point out the features of my listing versus the others. It's always better to get both sides of the deal!
The goal is to show them comparable homes and get a better understanding of their wants and needs. The longer you spend time with them, the better the chances they will continue working with you exclusively.
