As a REALTOR, whether you are new to the industry or have been in the real estate business for 25 years, I have a little gem of advice that is applicable to everyone.
Put yourself in the shoes of a consumer for a moment. Think about the house you are about to buy or the last house you did buy. Who represented you? Would you choose him or her to represent you again? What characteristics make up a truly great agent? If you had to boil it down to one word, what would the most essential characteristic be?
I am going to venture a guess and say that most people would have completely different answers on this topic. However, in my experience, I have found one significant common denominator that unites all descriptions of a successful agent and amplifies the possibility of future business:
Communication.
No, it's not about being the “local expert” or the agent with the most listings. The most important quality to possess is communication. You must always be someone who routinely explains contracts with thoroughness until a client fully understands; someone who reviews the market with them one-on-one; someone who answers and returns phone calls around the clock. You must never be the agent who leaves his or her client in the dark. A client would rather work with a REALTOR® who finds answers quickly than with one who knows the answer but doesn’t communicate them properly.
This can be compared to when you walk into a store to purchase something. How often are you not even acknowledged? Studies continually show that customers who are not acknowledged by an employee when first entering a store will wait on average only a few minutes before leaving. Why don’t most of these neglected customers stay? Because people want to know you care. That’s all they need to know and the rest will work itself out. What’s worse than the professional you’ve trusted with the largest transaction of your life not being there for you?
My goal in my real estate business is to communicate with the buyers and sellers I work with; to keep them informed every step of the way. Sometimes I don't have the response they are wanting, but I tell them I'm checking on it for them and will let them know when I do. And I do. That's why we at Advantage Real Estate continue put in writing a guarantee for service satisfaction for each property we help sell. Because communication matters!
You can view our service satisfaction guarantee on our website: www.AskAdvantage.com
