Tips on best practices for customer service in the field of real estate marketing.

•1: Building trust with customers

•2: Understand needs accurately

•3: Understand the client’s priorities

•4: Your familiarity with other services

•5: Balancing sales and service

• Maintain transaction order

If there's one thing RE/MAX ALMOHAGER has taught us, it's this: Real estate is complicated.

Whether it is buying a property, selling a property, maintaining, building or managing a property each different aspect of real estate comes with its own challenges

For real estate brokers who work directly with clients, they may have to manage client expectations and gain the trust of their clients. They have to help clients see what could be possible and control them if their goals are unrealistic and this scene will be particularly difficult to navigate.

With the diversity of real estate roles, there are five common weaknesses that we believe almost everyone who works in real estate faces.

Here are real estate customer service tips to help you provide respectful service to your clients:

No matter whether they are buying, renting, renewing their lease or anything else, real estate plays a huge role in people's lives. For those lucky enough to have a stable place to call home, security represents a place to create memories and a literal and figurative shelter from the storms of life.

All of this makes real estate a high-stakes game if there is a lack of trust on the part of the client. Most studies, in fact, indicate that only a small number, no more than 10% of people, felt that they could fully trust a real estate agent - and this makes buying and selling difficult. Real estate is more difficult for a real estate broker.

Tip 1: Communicate proactively

In many real estate transactions there are so many moving stages it can be difficult to keep everything straight and if information is dropped during the closing of the deal or is not communicated in a timely manner it can fuel feelings of mistrust in the client.

To ensure this does not happen, commit to communicating proactively with your customers. Whether the news is good or bad you should do your best to inform them quickly when you get any important news.

Scheduling weekly or even daily check-ins with clients is a good way to communicate proactively. This way you'll know that no matter what, clients will be privy to most of the details and will also have a regular opportunity to ask any questions they may have.

Remember that even though you may have many clients you are likely their only point of contact. Essentially, you are their real estate lifeline and by being present and proactively communicating with them you can alleviate anxiety and create an overall respectful experience.

For almost anyone working in real estate marketing, empathy is an essential trait. It allows you to step into the shoes of another broker and helps you understand and appreciate the client's point of view more.

For example, if you sell real estate, the idea of ​​buying and selling real estate becomes routine. It has become a part of your daily life and something you do a lot, so you may become a little insensitive to the attraction that a buyer or seller may feel.

To counter this, make sure you address your client's emotional real estate needs as well. Ask them how they feel or if they are comfortable with everything and listen carefully when they answer. By doing this you are giving them the opportunity to express themselves and you will also get a window into their point of view.

Once you hear their questions or concerns, answer them from their perspective. Showing that you understand what they are going through goes a long way in building a foundation of trust.

It is difficult to provide a successful customer experience if you do not fully understand the customer's needs. However, since your ability to provide better service to your customers depends on your understanding, this is something you need to invest time and energy into.

Real estate is, at its core, a commodity and although it is normal for an emotional attachment to a property to develop over time, people may be reluctant to give the “whole story” to retain value.

How can you satisfy a need or emotion you know nothing about?

One way to overcome this obstacle is to be transparent with your client. When you are open with them, they may in turn be more open with you.

Experiments show that we worry that being honest can have a negative impact. However, the same practical experiments showed that honesty was the right move and improved relationships in the long run.

Another way to enhance transparency is to guide customers to find the information themselves. For example, creating a blog may be an appropriate way to do this.

You can also publish a good article or posts explaining what commissions are or answering real estate financing questions, etc.

In the past, only real estate brokers made advertisements, but with the advent of the Internet and websites, this is no longer the case. Real estate buyers are more informed than ever and often do most of the research themselves before contacting a real estate broker.

By continually educating the customer you are signaling that you are not trying to hide anything and want to help customers be as informed as possible.

The best way to understand what someone wants is to ask them. Ask your customer questions, listen carefully, and continually build on previous information shared.

You can start by asking if they are a first-time, third- or fourth-time buyer. Getting this question down (the initial scale) can help guide your next few questions.

For example with a first time buyer you may want to ask more about what they did the first time because people who have bought homes previously may have these types of details.

Since you will likely be working with multiple clients at once, it may be important to store that information somewhere for current and future use such as an Excel sheet or a Nile Estate system. For example using system.nileestate.com you can create customer profiles to take notes on past conversations and store contact details, notes and other information.

Do your best to create a revised set of questions. Having different sets of questions for different types of buyers can also be helpful. Use a mix of open and closed questions Open-ended questions are good for getting more information and closed-ended questions can help get more clarity on a particular topic.

If possible - and with the client's consent - record conversations.

 Not only is recording more comprehensive than notes, it also allows you to stay present during the conversation and keep your focus on the customer.

Hearing and understanding are two completely different things. Just because we hear the content of the message does not mean that we realize what the speaker is trying to convey. We may be distracted or thinking about a point we want to make.

Active listening is basically being mindful and having the speaker's sole attention and paying attention to what he or she is saying.

Start by creating an environment conducive to active listening. Turn your phone to silent mode and keep it out of sight. If you're in front of a computer, turn off the screen or move away from it so you're not tempted to open email or browse while talking to someone.

If you are not able to give your full attention you are likely to miss important information and be less prepared to meet your client's needs. Just like any other skill, active listening requires practice and practice.

Many real estate transactions are relatively high risk, which means they take significant time and thought. Although a client may be able to come into your office for an hour or so, this amount of time may not be enough to view a property or review moving plans.

In order to provide better service to the client, you will likely need to meet with him outside the office.

Tip 6: Consider an auto responder

People like quick responses. In fact, experiments show that more than a third of customers expect a response within an hour, and if they have to wait more than six hours, they are likely to go elsewhere.

Since people communicate at all times of the day, responding to everyone in a timely manner may seem like an impossible task, although every customer has their own needs, it is common for the initial questions they send to be similar.

You may be able to use an auto responder to communicate quickly and effectively. For example, using a support tool like Auto Reply in WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, you can create automatic responses based on the question text and subject, or you can create conditions based on the time of day the message is received or the amount of time it remains unanswered.

Although an auto responder will not be able to handle exact issues, it can be useful for sending answers from the relevant database or simply as a means of qualifying a customer and setting their expectations by letting them know when they will respond.

No one is able to respond to his message or request.

Tip 7: Set up an emergency line

There are some problems that can't wait and although they are generally few and far between, you should still make a plan to accommodate those situations. One common method is to create an emergency line – a separate line that can be used if something truly urgent occurs.

You may wish to use the automated response as stated above but with a comment attached. If it is an emergency, we can be reached at . X

Remember that what qualifies as an “emergency” is personal so it is wise to record some guidelines about what the emergency means to you and link them to those in the same messages.

Tip 8: Implement rotation schedules

There are many real estate interactions that occur during non-standard hours. Working nights and weekends regularly is not ideal for many so it is good practice to make sure you don't just burden anyone with this responsibility.

One way to manage this demand is to use alternating schedules. For example, it is common for not all team members to work on a Friday or Saturday. Since the volume is usually a little lower during the weekend.

Point 4: Being the intermediary for other services

Almost no real estate transaction is done in isolation. If someone is buying a home, they may need to get a mortgage, a lawyer, a moving company, or a cleaning company. If they are doing a renovation they need a general contractor as well as subcontractors.

If you are the primary point of contact in this process the client is likely to seek your advice on these other areas. And if you've been in the business for a while you probably know a little about all the additional services surrounding real estate.

However, just because you know more than most people does not mean that you are the absolute authority on everything related to real estate, but that you want to help however you can. So how can you manage the role of mediator to better serve everyone involved?

Ninth tip: Build a strong network

It's not realistic - or particularly practical - to become a subject matter expert in all the different disciplines associated with real estate. However, providing good customer service means setting them up for success as a whole, even when it comes to areas outside your area of ​​expertise. To do this you need a network of other professionals to fill in the gaps.

Participating in industry networking events can be a great way to start making those connections. Asking people who have been in the industry longer than you for recommendations can be a suitable approach. Or if you notice the quality of the work, inquire about who did it and contact him to start building those relationships.

Don't hire someone just because they are the only option you have. If you make a recommendation that turns out bad it will likely reflect poorly on you as well. Make sure anyone you bring into your personal network is properly vetted.

Tip 10: Learn as much as you can but be careful

As much as building a strong network helps clients, it can be beneficial for you as well. Having access to these people means that you have the opportunity to learn from them and you should definitely take advantage of that.

Set up a time to interview them about their jobs and learn the nuances of their work. You can also shadow them for a day to get a deeper understanding and a better idea of ​​what the customer experience will be like for anyone you refer.

Another thing you should learn is at what point you need to take the client to a real expert. Be honest when you don't know an answer and if the questions go beyond your knowledge then take them directly to an expert or reach out on their behalf.

Although it may seem that the quickest answer is always the best, this is only true when the answer is accurate. Remember that the main goal is to obtain the best and most complete information possible.

Point 5: Balancing selling and service

There are a number of roles in real estate that naturally involve selling and service such as real estate brokers, home builders and designers. In every role they should be consultants but at some points they will inevitably have to sell to their clients.

It can be difficult to achieve the right balance. There is not always a clear line about when you should sell and when you should serve. Over time many develop an internal compass but if you are having trouble finding true perfection there are some tactics you can use.

Tip 11: Be a counselor, not a persuader

For too long the focus of many real estate brokers has been on how best to serve themselves - or their companies - rather than their clients. They will do almost anything to convince someone to buy their product or service whether or not it is the right thing for the person in front of them.

But selling hard to someone only benefits you in the short term. If a customer is not happy they will not refer you to others and may not continue to do business with you. For long-term success, a consultative approach is much better.

The consultation begins with an interview with the client to learn about his needs and goals. Once you have this basic information you will know whether or not you are a good fit for the client and can act as a consultant to help find the best solution.

Another characteristic of consultative selling is staying with the client through the entire process. Since you are the person the client knows, this helps create stability. It also shows that you are invested in him and builds trust between you.

The truth is that working as a consultant requires more work and that is why not everyone is willing to do it. For those who are it will pay off for years to come.

Tip 12: Set expectations early

As a real estate broker, you have to be specialized in many different areas. Although your skills may cover a wide range of issues, you cannot be everything to everyone. Sometimes you'll need some help.

In those cases handing someone over to a subject matter expert is generally the best option. However, it can be difficult for the customer if you don't set the expectation that you may need to hand it over to someone else at some point.

The best way to combat this is to be honest with them early on and clearly define the role you play in the process as well as the times when it might be better to involve another team or person. Explain to them how helpful it is to connect them with another team and gently hand them over so they don't have to repeat any information.

By setting expectations early you can set yourself and your clients up for success. They will not be taken by surprise and you will be empowered to make those choices without fear of upsetting them.

Tip 13: Align sales and service goals

At the end of the day real estate brokers need to sell. Providing good service can improve a customer's sales experience and help grow someone's portfolio but being the best is not always compatible with selling.

The truth is that most real estate brokers have a commission or bonus structure. In order to maximize this they need to sell which can create tension when there is non-selling activity that is likely to eat up time that could be spent pursuing new trades.

In order to alleviate some of this tension, professional mediators need to think critically about whether there are ways to better align these two goals. A common example in the software world is that there is a period in which salespeople are also paid based on expansion revenue – from six months to a year.

By doing so they are motivated to maintain an active relationship with the client during that period; There is an opportunity to earn more even after the initial purchase. In cases where there is a single transaction it may be difficult to find ways to reconcile but it is not impossible.

For example there could be a bonus for renewing the lease.

Or if the client comes back for repeat business or sends you a referral, you can offer some type of reward. Depending on the role and responsibilities the format will vary but should be possible at some level.

These points and others that you may think about lead to strengthening relationships with customers and ultimately increasing sales.