From the first moment you make contact with your new real estate clients, you should have the mindset that you will have a relationship with them for many years to come. Even if those clients never purchase another home or happen to move out of your sales region, they are still relationships that can lead to future referrals and are one of your greatest assets when it comes to networking.
So how do you go about creating long-lasting bonds with your real estate clients? In addition to the standard practices (being polite yet professional, direct yet empathetic, etc.), there are a number of novel and unique ways you can connect with your clients that will reserve a special place in their hearts for you.
Listed below are three ideas that are sure to impress your real estate clients:
Technology makes so many things easier today. The problem is that it often removes the personal interaction once common in more “primitive” ways of communicating. If you have good penmanship, try writing the letter in cursive. If you lost that skill long ago like most of us did, then printing your words will work just as well. Just make sure it’s done on a letterhead and not a yellow piece of paper from your notepad.
The idea of the letter is to simply thank the homeowner for giving you the opportunity to help them find their new home. With a couple of changes to how you interact with your real estate clients, you will look more like a personal assistant than a sales agent. It’s that personal connection that will take the relationship a long way.
For those families that have pets, they absolutely love them. So much so that even in the unlikely event that you buy them a throw pillow of their pet Chihuahua that they already own…they will still be just as excited. Pet owners are a unique breed.
During your more leisurely conversations with your clients, find out what type of pet (dog, cat, bird, etc.), the breed (Chihuahua, Persian, Canary), and whether it’s a male or female. The more precise, the better. Then go out and find something that has an imprint of that type of pet. Throw pillows, T-shirts, coffee mugs, socks, hats, and even welcome mats are a great idea.
As anyone who has been through the home buying (or selling) process knows, it’s no small feat to make it to closing. Issues seem to arise daily from the mortgage, title and insurance companies. That’s just an added reason why it feels like an accomplishment to actual buy a home.
For that reason, you should treat it just as special as any other ribbon-cutting ceremony. Slap a nice red ribbon across the front door and invest in some large ceremonial scissors. A good pair could cost you around $100 but you’ll use these with all of your clients and the novelty of the event will far outweigh the cost.