As a licensed real estate agent, you already know that you provide value to your clients and customers. You spend countless hours educating yourself in classes, reading and keeping up to date with your local real estate market, and engaging with your local real estate board and other agents in your office.
We possess excellent negotiation skills, knowledge of the purchase process and the legality of it all, plus necessary communication skills.
Limited Service Brokerages and Other Discounted Options
It seems like every year that the industry is hit with a new brokerage model, or a new online company, claiming to simplify the process and do it for less. There are a lot of discount and limited service brokerages that pop up, as well as out-of-state firms that claim to guarantee they can get extremely quick offers on the table.
As agents, we already know that they don’t provide the same level of attention, expertise, and value that we do.
Unfortunately, customers that don’t have our expertise don’t see it the same way that we do. They may see a limited service brokerage as a great way to save them money, without understanding that in the long run, they’re not actually getting the value that they deserve.
It could, in fact, cost them money at the end, when they don’t have a local market expert who is ready and willing to negotiate and handle the transaction on their behalf, from start to finish.
Providing Superior Service and Value
To combat this, you really need to help your clients feel comfortable with their largest purchase and show what it means to provide superior service and excellent value to them.
Because, as we know, real estate agents don’t sell homes, we provide customer service to our clients. Our jobs are nothing but superior service and value. Here is a list of great ways that you can provide value to your clients and customers.
Keep Yourself Up-to-Date. This is seriously the most important thing you can do. Some education is required every year to keep your license, but you need to go above and beyond.
Stay in-the-know about your local market by doing a weekly review of market conditions. Make sure you know what’s going on with the mortgage industry. Check for new listings that have hit the market.
Keep it Simple. Marketing tools like mailers and websites are essential for your business. You definitely want to include a professional-looking photo, but don’t make it the entire focus of your marketing materials.
Splashing your face and flashy phrases over the whole thing might detract from what you’re trying to accomplish. You’ll pick up more leads with usable information.
Be Responsive. Your client wants someone who is accessible. Keep your response time within a respectable timeframe. Never leave your clients hanging.
Even if they shoot you an email and you don’t know the answer to the question, take the time to respond letting them know that you’ve received their email and you’ll look into it.
Make Suggestions. If you’re listing a home, suggest simple, cost-effective ways that they might see a higher offer, like fresh paint, or fixing that pesky loose railing. Talk about options for a fantastic open house.
With buyers, suggest neighborhoods or areas that they could potentially be interested in, or suggest trusted closing attorneys and inspectors.
Have Partners. Don’t get caught off guard when a buyer or seller asks for recommendations. Have a list of trusted inspectors, contractors, attorneys, and real estate photographers that you can provide contact information for.
Also, work on building a referral network of real estate agents that do what you do not. For instance, if you only handle residential resale, have a few contacts that specialize in commercial real estate or rentals.
