Personal Resolutions to be a Better Realtor
2015 went as quickly as it came, and we are left with another year of choices to reflect upon. Wether you felt it was a highly successful year, personally or professionally, or if 2015 left something to be desired, the key to reflection is personal growth. The following steps are aimed at personal development which in turn will make your a more accessible and approachable professional figure. Implementing these small life changes will show dedication to continual self improvement.
Be A Swift Responder. Make a point of returning correspondences immediately. Have your calls, emails, and social media messages forwarded to your smart phone, so you can receive communication from anywhere, and more importantly, respond immediately. Turn that potential customer into a lifelong client by being the first agent to reply.
Commit to Lifelong Learning. Sign up for courses offered by Re/Max University, AREA Professional Development to always be challenging yourself and grow. It doesn’t have to be innately real estate related. Why not take a Metro Continuing Education photography class, and take better photos for MLS, or choose a beginner language course and broaden your client base.
Maintain Your Network. Have a lawyer, mortgage broker, painting service, and house cleaner on hand and build good relationships. Send wine, gifts, and thank you notes to show appreciation for a job well done. Send Christmas cards to past clients; even if you know they’re not interested you never know who they will pass your name to. Is your cousin in the furnace repair business? Keep a card on hand to refer customers to. Making an effort in all facets of your life will help improve social skills, build reciprocity, and create a dedicated business persona.
Be an open book. Don’t leave your clients in the dark or assume they understand the real estate process. Many clients may be first time buyers and are probably more terrified and overwhelmed than they let on. Don’t be afraid to over-explain, people will stop you if they get it, mostly likely though they will be grateful to have the additional info. It also gives you a great chance to shine, you’ve put a lot of effort into honing your real estate skills, why not take moment to show off.
Practice Self-Discipline. This means showing up on time, never double booking, being mentally present with appropriate paperwork, and having your homework done. This will show the client that you respect their valuable time, and appreciate their business. Show up to a viewing ten minutes early, with extra highlight sheets, and an overview of the neighbourhood and amenities. Your clients will see you care as much about their new home as they do.
Adapt to technology. Chances are if you aren’t particularly picky you will have a broad range of clients with a large range of abilities. You may have established clients who like phone calls, hang on to business cards, and receive faxed documents. Then of course your new clients may prefer dealing in texts and emails, having found out about you via your twitter or facebook page. Keeping current and constantly adapting opens you up to the broadest possible market of clientele. It takes less than 5 minutes to post an Instagram of your new listing which can then be cross shared with Facebook and Twitter. “Check-In” at your open house so clients know where to find you, then share success stories and photos of happy customers. It will showcase you as a genuine person with a real passion for client satisfaction.
Tags: Business Building, Cilents, Resolutions
