The buyer-agent relationship is by necessity a high-touch one. If you aren’t in contact – showing houses, negotiating offers, planning the closing – then you can’t make money. But when you’re acting as a seller’s agent, there’s a temptation to let thing go on autopilot for a bit. If you’re not actively planning for an open house or following up on showings, it’s easy to let weeks (or worse, months) go by without getting in touch with your clients.
Unfortunately, this is often a high-stress time for sellers, and if they don’t feel like you’re actively working on their listing, it’s a surefire bet that they won’t be referring you to friends or renewing their listing contract.
So, what can you do to maintain a great relationship with your sellers? Here are three tips to start with:
- Set the expectation. In your initial meeting with a potential client, before you’ve even asked for the listing, lay out what they can expect from working with you. Come prepared for the conversation with a real estate presentation folder that includes everything the client needs to make a decision: several comps, a listing contract, your marketing plan, and plenty of ways to get in touch with you.
- Make it easy to get connected. Your clients should always have your contact information, of course. But being easy to get in touch with is about more than just handing out a real estate business card at the beginning of your client relationship. It’s about returning calls promptly, being flexible about how you communicate (does your client stick to texts, or prefer a phone call?), and proactively reaching out if you haven’t heard from the client in a while. It’s about making sure your clients feel comfortable coming to you with their concerns, and knowing they’ll feel heard.
- Show, don’t tell. If you’ve got a plan in mind for how you’ll market their house, then share it! But even better than an idea is an example. Bring along previous “Just Listed” postcards you’ve sent out, show them a past FB campaign, or include a mock-up real estate flyer in your initial consultation folder. Let your clients know what kinds of action they can expect you to take to sell their house, and follow up once you’ve started putting the plan in place.
If you can follow these three tips, you’re much more likely to set your client’s mind at ease – even if it takes a while for the house to sell.