Staying in touch with your real estate clients is a great way to get repeat business as well as referrals to their friends and relatives. You don’t have to spend considerable time building long-term relationships with your clients. Maintain positive connections in a variety of ways to show appreciation for their patronage and to remind them of your availability for realtor assistance.
Mail a Thank-You Card
A handwritten thank-you note sends a personal message of appreciation that most people will enjoy receiving. While email is faster, snail mail makes a positive impression of thoughtful good will. You might want to include a small box of candy or a free beverage coupon for a local coffee shop.
A tangible gift stamps a warm memory in recipients’ minds, so they are likelier to remember you the next time someone they know mentions needing a realtor. Previous clients might eventually want to move again or get a second home for vacations. Establishing a meaningful bond may lead to future business.
Follow Up After a Transaction
Whether you assist with a successful sale or purchase, contact the client a few weeks later to see how things are going. They will appreciate the check-in, and you may be able to answer questions about the area or the property that have arisen since the transaction. Going the extra step for clients to whom you are no longer obligated displays kind character and an ethical mindset.
Connect on Social Media
Become a follower of your clients on social media like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Read and respond to their posts to build an online bond through occasional chat. Forward their posts to your followers to extend the link if relevant. Send your real estate clients news or posts of interest to them. Take note of reminders often posted by social media items of interest related to their property or their occupations. You may also want to send congrats and good wishes for birthdays, job anniversaries, and promotions, which is made easy with automatic reminders on many social media sites.
Invite Clients to Networking Events
Join the chamber of commerce and other civic groups where you may encounter real estate clients or make new ones. You can invite prior clients to the networking luncheons or meet-and-greet social events where they can share their delight with your customer care when you were their real estate agents. A secondary benefit is they will appreciate the invitation to the luncheon or event as another reason to remember you for future realty needs or to refer you to people they know who are planning to buy or sell a property. Your client might meet someone they know at the event and introduce you, providing a new prospective contact.
Send Direct Mail Postcards
Cute postcards can brighten your clients’ day when they realize you took time to remember them in that way for no particular reason. Some postcards have recipes or an inspiring message on the back that adds value to the mailer. Your target audience will appreciate getting a card whenever you sell a home or earn a new realty certificate, such as senior housing specialist, that they can share with their friends.
Check out the direct mail postcard options offered by a professional business like Wise Pelican. Similar to a thank-you note or a social media post, a direct mail postcard is a thoughtful gesture to remind clients you have not forgotten them.
Provide Contractor Referrals
Many home sellers are looking for help in getting the house ready for the market. Be ready to answer their questions or offer advice whenever possible. If they need help with home repairs or remodeling, refer them to a reliable contractor. If you know of upcoming home supply store sales or discounts, let the sellers know.
Do the same for buyers who close on a property and need to fix up the house. People love getting that kind of help, especially if they don’t know anyone they trust to do the work, or if they have moved to a new neighborhood.
Build an Interactive Website
Stay in touch with your clients by adding interactive features to your business website. You might conduct a survey related to real estate by offering three questions that clients and other visitors can answer, then post the results for everyone to read.
A sample question could be to name one thing the buyers wish they had known before making an offer on a house, or for sellers to state something they wish they had done to improve the house before listing it. That type of survey is fun to do and helpful for other visitors to your site, who may refer it to others.
Your website could sponsor a monthly drawing for the best real estate buyer or seller tip, with a small but interesting prize. The website should have a section for testimonials where satisfied clients can post their praise and appreciation. Useful information to include might be the number of properties sold in your county on a monthly basis or the current average property tax on a certain type of house, like a three-bedroom, two-bathroom colonial. People will keep coming back for news and updates.
Summary
Building a lasting relationship with your clients is not only good business, but it can also lead to great friendships. You might likewise glean useful information or professional tips from your client connections.
