What do successful many real estate agents have in common? Instead of striving to meet clients’ expectations, they strive to exceed clients’ expectations. This level of service excellence helps agents build strong relationships that lead to satisfied clients which can yield repeat business and referrals. What are you doing to surpass what your clients expect of you? Here are some ideas:
1. Be a diligent communicator.
Don’t wait for clients to ask for information. Try to anticipate their questions and the information they need every step of the way and supply it before they make requests. Touch base with clients frequently throughout the transaction process. Even when you don’t have anything new to report, contact clients and ask if there’s anything they need from you. Answer phone calls whenever possible, and return text messages, voicemails, and emails promptly.
2. Arrive early for appointments.
By the time clients arrive for showings, be there already and have some interesting things to point out. At meetings, have paperwork ready and organized at their places. Show up early for open houses and listing pictures to see if you can pitch in and help get the home ready. Being prompt shows clients that you care about them and know their time is valuable. If you are ever delayed for any reason, call or text your clients to explain why and to give an estimated arrival time so they won’t wonder where you are – and whether they are a priority to you.
3. Ask questions.
How do you know what each client expects of you if you don’t ask? Find out what’s important to them in a real estate professional. In addition to understanding their home needs, get to know them on a personal level by asking about their work, families, hobbies, and community interests.
4. Listen intently.
When clients are speaking to you in person, maintain eye contact and avoid interrupting them. Nod affirmatively and save any questions that pop up for when they finish speaking. It’s often helpful to summarize and repeat back the main points of what they’ve said so you can make sure you understood them correctly. Over the phone, stop doing other tasks and focus on the voice at the other end so they don’t feel you are distracted.
5. Follow up.
Always carry out clients’ requests or explain why you couldn’t. When you send clients information, follow up to make sure they’ve received it and to see if they have any questions. Get in touch with buyers soon after showings to get any feedback and with sellers to deliver any feedback. After important conversations, it may be helpful for you to follow up with an email message outlining what was said and what action steps you are taking.
6. Give thoughtful closing gifts.
For many real estate clients, a thoughtful closing gift is more meaningful than an expensive one. Give some thought to the closing gift you select for each client and ask yourself whether it’s something that suits your client and will make a lasting impression.
7. Protect their budgets and time with home warranty coverage.
Adding an HSA home warranty to every real estate transaction shows clients you care about them and their budgets, even after deals close. An HSA home warranty helps safeguard the budget of both home buyers and sellers from the expense of component breakdowns of covered home systems and appliances and gives them a convenient repair resource for covered malfunctions.
One of the best things you can do to exceed clients’ expectations is to stay in touch with them after deals close. They likely won’t expect this and will be touched that you continue to show interest their home and in their lives. Maintaining relationships with clients can help you build business and may also lead to rewarding, lasting friendships.