100 Things Buyer's Agents Do for Their Clients
It's been a rough couple weeks for buyer's agents — and for how they're being portrayed in the media. Since the NAR settlement, comments sections of news articles have been rife with remarks like "What do real estate agents even do anyway?" that imply that agents don't deserve their commissions.
While we advise that you stay away from these online discussions — which quickly turn toxic — you may need to offer answers to the question of what you do to clients and prospects at some point.
Fortunately, as any buyer's agent knows, you do a whole lot! We want to hype you up during this challenging time and help you be ready to list all the wonderful ways you help your clients the next time you get that question. That's why we've rounded up this list of 100 things that real estate buyer's agents do for their clients.
The list is written as if buyers are reading it, so please feel free to copy and paste this anywhere that it's helpful — on your website, into presentations, your email newsletter, and beyond!
Before Your Search Begins
Understand your needs and wants as a buyer (e.g., number of bedrooms, desired school district, commute time)
Discuss your budget and pre-qualification options (explain pre-qualification vs. pre-approval)
Educate you about the current real estate market (local trends, market conditions)
Explain the buying process (steps involved, timeline)
Provide a buyer's agency agreement outlining their responsibilities, compensation, and fiduciary duty to represent your best interests
Discuss financing options (conventional loans, FHA loans, VA loans)
Help you get pre-approved for a mortgage (connect you with lenders, understand loan terms)
Explain the role of different parties involved (seller's agent, escrow officer, title company)
Advise on homeowner's insurance considerations (types of coverage, estimated costs)
Discuss potential tax implications of buying a home
During Your Search
Set up a personalized MLS search based on your criteria (location, price range, property type)
Recommend properties that meet your criteria and highlight key features
Schedule appointments to view properties and manage your showing itinerary
Provide virtual tours if available and conduct virtual consultations if needed
Research the neighborhoods you're interested in (schools, amenities, crime rates)
Point out pros and cons of each property during showings
Offer honest and unbiased opinions based on your needs and market knowledge
Identify potential problems with properties (structural issues, outdated features, renovation needs)
Help you stay organized with property information (create spreadsheets, share notes)
Track new listings that hit the market and notify you of potential matches
Schedule follow-up appointments for properties you'd like to see again
Answer questions about open houses and how to best approach them
Explain the role of "coming soon" listings and pre-market opportunities
Advise on strategies for attending competitive open houses
Help you understand the concept of "pocket listings" (unlisted properties)
Offer guidance on making low-ball offers (weighing risks and benefits)
Explain the concept of escalation clauses in competitive offers
Discuss the importance of earnest money deposits and potential holding fees
Advise on timelines for submitting offers and response expectations
Help you prioritize properties based on your evolving needs and preferences
Making an Offer
Explain different offer strategies based on market conditions (fixed price, escalation clauses)
Help you determine a competitive offer price considering comps (comparable properties) and market analysis
Draft and submit a formal offer following standard real estate contract formats
Negotiate on your behalf with the seller's agent to get the best possible terms
Present counteroffers strategically to improve your offer's position
Recommend concessions you can request beyond price (closing costs, repairs, warranties)
Advise on closing costs and help you estimate associated fees
Ensure all contingencies are included in the offer to protect your interests (financing, inspections, appraisals)
Explain the concept of "due diligence" period and your rights during that time
Keep you informed of the negotiation process and provide timely updates
Under Contract
Schedule and coordinate the home inspection with a qualified inspector
Accompany you to the home inspection to ask questions and take notes
Review the home inspection report with you, explaining findings and potential repair needs
Negotiate repairs with the seller based on the inspection report
Help you understand the process of scheduling and attending additional inspections (e.g., radon, pest)
Facilitate communication between you and the lender to ensure smooth loan processing
Recommend reputable mortgage lenders if you haven't already secured pre-approval
Help you gather necessary documents for loan approval (tax returns, bank statements)
Schedule and attend the appraisal (if required by your lender)
Review the appraisal report and explain its impact on
Advise on potential challenges with loan approval and suggest solutions
Explain the role of private mortgage insurance (PMI) if applicable
Help you understand the escrow process and communicate with the escrow officer
Before Closing
Order title search to identify any ownership or lien issues
Review the title commitment and explain its implications
Advise on homeowner's insurance options and help you get quotes
Schedule the final walk-through to ensure the property's condition aligns with the contract
Ensure all repairs agreed upon are completed before closing
Review closing documents thoroughly and explain each section
Answer any questions you have about closing and prepare you for the process
After Closing
Provide recommendations for reputable movers based on your needs and budget
Help you connect with home warranty companies to explore coverage options
Offer recommendations for home improvement contractors for post-purchase renovations
Stay in touch and answer any questions you have after closing
Provide resources for navigating homeownership, including maintenance tips and homeowner associations (HOAs)
Additional Services
Provide resources for school information and district ratings
Help you understand local property taxes and potential exemptions
Advise on homeowner association (HOA) fees and explain HOA rules
Explain the benefits and drawbacks of different property types (single-family home, condo, townhouse)
Help you understand lead paint disclosures and potential remediation requirements
Assist with navigating historical property reports to understand the property's background
Recommend resources for obtaining permits and inspections for renovations
Connect you with property management companies if you plan to rent out the property
Help you understand the process of obtaining homeowners' insurance
Offer guidance on budgeting for ongoing homeowner expenses (maintenance, utilities)
Client Communication
Be available to answer your questions by phone, email, text, or preferred method
Communicate promptly and effectively, keeping you informed throughout the process
Advocate for your best interests during negotiations and throughout the transaction
Provide you with clear and concise explanations, avoiding technical jargon
Be patient and understanding, acknowledging the stress involved in buying a home
Market Knowledge
Stay up-to-date on current market trends (inventory levels, interest rates, price fluctuations)
Analyze local market data to identify buying opportunities
Provide insights into specific neighborhoods, highlighting pros, cons, and future development plans
Offer comps (comparable properties) for reference during your search
Help you understand seller motivations to inform your offer strategy
Technology
Utilize technology to streamline the buying process (electronic signatures, online portals)
Use digital tools for property searches with interactive features and filters
Offer electronic document signing for added convenience and efficiency
Provide online communication platforms for easy information exchange and updates
Use marketing tools to target potential properties that meet your criteria
Negotiation Skills
Negotiate effectively on your behalf to secure the best possible terms
Present your offer in the best light, highlighting your strengths as a buyer
Counteract seller's arguments strategically to improve your offer's position
Advocate for repairs without jeopardizing the deal by finding common ground
Help you achieve a win-win outcome that satisfies both parties
Maintain a high level of professionalism throughout your interactions
Dress appropriately for appointments and meetings, projecting a positive image
Be respectful of all parties involved (sellers, agents, inspectors)
Adhere to a strict code of ethics, ensuring fair and honest representation
Conduct business with integrity and transparency, building trust with your clients
There you have it — 100 things buyer's agents do for their clients. If you share this list, feel free to edit as needed. After all, you may not do everything on this list, and there are probably several things you do do that aren't listed.
Happy selling!
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[Podcast] You Don't Get to the Money If You Don't Get to the Core of Feelings, with Lynn Sharer
We talk a lot about the business and tech sides of real estate at RE Technology, but we don't get around to addressing one big part of this business — the emotions.
A real estate transaction is a very emotional event: there's hope, anticipation, excitement, fear, loss, frustration — it runs the gamut. That's because a home is such a personal thing. It's our shelter as well as a major financial asset.
So let's dive into those emotions. Today, we're highlighting an episode from Leigh Brown's podcast, Crazy Sh*t in Real Estate, that explores "the emotional tapestry that underpins successful real estate transactions." Special guest Lynn Sharer, a broker from Pennsylvania, shares how she connects with clients and leverages the high emotions of a transaction to better close deals.
Listen to the conversation below:
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts
YouTube
View the episode homepage for show notes and more details.
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Putting Clients First: How to Deliver Positive Real Estate Outcomes with RPR
As a REALTOR®, you're a champion for your client's best interests, guiding them through the complexities of a real estate transaction. Your expertise instills confidence and trust, and with RPR (Realtors Property Resource®) at your disposal, your capacity to deliver positive outcomes is unparalleled.
Let's examine five ways RPR's indispensable tools can sharpen your negotiation skills, ensuring each client's journey leads to the best possible destination.
1. How Data-Backed Valuations Earn Client Trust
Gaining a client's trust requires starting with an objective valuation that can stand up to scrutiny. RPR's RVM®—the Realtors Valuation Model®—gives you that starting point. It's an automated valuation of a property, using a vast array of data points and predictive analytics. It's the foundation upon which you can build a solid case for a property's worth.
However, the true skill of a REALTOR® is shown in taking these RVM® estimates and refining them. Factors such as recent home improvements, the property's unique features, and the local market nuances are all taken into account to adjust the valuation. This refined value isn't just a number—it's a starting point for negotiations that reflects a deep understanding of the property's true market position.
Real-Life Impact: Consider the success of James and Penny Brockway, the REALTOR® duo who utilized the RVM® and Refine Value tool to pinpoint a value that captured the essence of the property, resulting in a win-win sale.
2. The Unique Value of RPR's CMA
RPR's CMA is your secret weapon for customizing your comparisons to match a property's unique features. It involves a detailed process where you confirm the subject property details, select comparable properties and make informed adjustments. Through RPR, you can tell your client's property story with quantifiable data and spot-on analytics, offering a convincing, custom strategy for any negotiation.
Step-by-Step Instruction: Our upcoming webinar will walk you through creating a data-driven CMA, step-by-step, ensuring you're equipped to handle any negotiation curveball.
3. Hyper-Local Insights: Your Negotiation X-Factor
A deep understanding of local market dynamics is an advantage in any negotiation, and RPR provides precisely that. These Shareable Market Trends and insights arm you with the knowledge necessary to forecast market movements and buyer behavior, offering a strategic edge that can make all the difference. Integrate RPR Market Trends into your negotiation techniques to steer discussions toward maximizing benefits for your clients.
AI-Powered Content: Check out the Market Trends ScriptWriter, which allows you to create customizable "How's the Market?" video scripts, social media content and additional insights all with just a few clicks.
4. Presenting Compelling RPR Reports to Influence Outcomes
Every successful negotiation depends on the compelling presentation of facts, and RPR reports are the data-backed format for laying out a convincing case. Tailor each report to your client's situation, using the most impactful trends and data points to prove and influence stakeholders. A well-prepared RPR report can significantly tip the scales in your client's favor.
5. Bridging Appraisal Gaps: Data-Driven Solutions
An unexpected appraisal gap can be a deal-breaker, but it doesn't have to be. RPR's nationwide database supplies you with the facts needed to approach these gaps head-on. Offer various data-backed alternatives to counter low appraisals, comprehensively showcasing the property's actual value. A proactive approach rooted in RPR's data can keep the transaction moving forward, aligning outcomes with client expectations.
When it comes to negotiations, RPR arms REALTORS® with convincing data
The art of negotiation in real estate is nuanced, requiring both the expertise of a REALTOR® and the support of powerful data and tools.
RPR's platform is designed to boost your strategy, giving you the data you need to back you up, persuade, and ultimately succeed. Explore the full capabilities of RPR for your next negotiation and see just how much you can enhance client satisfaction and outcomes.
Ready to enhance your skills? To explore RPR's powerful tools for yourself or to further refine your negotiation tactics, visit our training center and sign up for an upcoming webinar.
To view the original article, visit the RPR blog.
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Using Property Data to Enhance the Client's Experience
It's no secret that consumers are facing major struggles in the real estate market today. Housing inventory is low, while home prices and interest rates are high. It's no wonder that so many would-be buyers and sellers are hesitant to enter the market today.
Unfortunately, when consumers struggle with the real estate market, that means that real estate professionals do as well. However, MLSs offer a tool that can empower their members to help consumers feel more comfortable buying or selling a home. Today, we'll explore how property data software can assist real estate professionals in enhancing their clients' experiences.
Telling stories with data
"Providing thoughtful data unique to each client's needs is a surefire way to not only establish trust, but to facilitate and expedite informed decision-making that leads to success for all stakeholders involved in a real estate transaction," said Sara Cooper, Executive Vice President, Real Estate Market at CRS Data.
Thoughtful data is what's key here. A list of property facts and figures is not enough to convince consumers who may still be on the fence. To be effective, data needs to tell consumers a story about a property or neighborhood.
"Real estate professionals can use the data they gather through CRS Data to tell a story, helping them to effectively communicate insights with their clients that are easy to understand," said Cooper. "CRS Data offers users multiple ways to compile reports with multiple data sets that are easy to interpret for both real estate professionals and their clients."
For clients with school-aged children, one crucial data set is school zone information. This data helps buyers understand whether a) a home is in a good school district, a major driver of positive, long-term property values, and b) whether their children will have to transfer schools if the family moves to the property.
For sellers, school zone information can assist in communicating the value of a home, especially when the home is in a well-rated district. CRS Data users can easily include this information with a CMA, or with listing and buyer presentations.
Sometimes the stories that data helps tell need to be in a different language. For those clients whose first language is Spanish, or who are simply more comfortable in the language, CRS Data offers bilingual reporting options.
Zeroing in on the perfect sale
Real estate buyers may have a vision of their ideal home that's more specific than the number of beds and baths. Maybe they want a property with a pool, or on one acre, or within a certain ZIP code. CRS Data offers advanced search capabilities that help agents drill down on these types of property details so they can help their clients be well-informed about the home they want to buy.
"Buyers generally have an idea of where they want to live, but real estate professionals can use our data to help guide that process and even introduce clients to different areas," said Cooper. "CRS Data offers insights into home value trajectories, school zone information and flood zone data, which give home buyers and sellers the context and the peace of mind they need surrounding a given area or particular property, which can speed up the decision-making process."
Sellers, on the other hand, may want to see area sales trends, says Cooper. "With CRS Data, real estate professionals can show their clients recent sales transactions and even compile an area sales trend report that details the number of homes sold in a given area, as well as the percentage of price increase or decrease."
That data may be helpful to buyers, too, according to Cooper. "This type of information may provide more confidence to buyers once they are able to see the full picture of real estate in the area they wish to buy, rather than just data on one particular home."
Whether real estate professionals are serving buyers or sellers, property data can help to ensure that their clients' experience is as smooth as possible.
To learn more about CRS Data, visit CRSData.com.
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Empower Consumers to Make Better Real Estate Decisions with Confidence
Nearly 100% of consumers start their home buying or selling journey online. With tech being more prevalent than ever in shaping consumer behavior, it's clear that consumers have a wealth of knowledge — right at their fingertips.
In today's market, they're researching market predictions, mortgage rate fluctuations, a potential recession, and what a buyer's or seller's market actually means. With all this knowledge, it's no surprise that people may be fearful and risk-averse to buying or selling.
They need to know ways to best navigate changes and feel empowered to make confident decisions.
How can you help ease this hesitation and get these buyers and sellers off the fence?
Put Yourself in Their Shoes
It's not just the buyers and sellers navigating the endless knowledge in this shifting market — you're working hard to stay aware, up to speed, and knowledgeable on these changes, too.
In addition to being an expert in your local area, you also need to be an expert on what's happening on a national scale and how it affects real estate in every aspect. Equipping yourself with this knowledge will allow you to tackle any questions or concerns from buyers or sellers head-on. This will help ease their fears and ensure they feel comfortable and confident. Providing them with this expertise and any clarifications also helps you empower the consumer.
As you go into meeting your buyers or sellers, be prepared to "meet them where they are." There's a lot of information — and misinformation — out there. What's happening on a market scale may not translate equally to local market conditions.
By putting yourself in your consumer's shoes and operating from their perspective, you can get a good grasp on how to best prepare to translate the local market to assuage their fears.
Remember: the goal is to drive confidence in these consumers with real-life education and examples to empower their buying or selling journey.
Arm Yourself with Data
Now that you've gotten your clients up to speed on the current state of the market and potential places it can go, you want to shift their attention to what's actually happening in your local market.
Show and provide them with real, current data focused on your state, region, and specific market. Walk them through how macro market factors have changed things, but also shed light on the possibilities that still exist. Steering them away from the doom and gloom offered by news headlines. Instead, turn them towards local-level data to help ease their hesitations and give them a clearer, more realistic picture of what they're facing.
From your perspective, it's critical you have a solid grasp on market statistics so you can confidently explain them to others. Run specific market reports using data from your local MLS. Make it clear to your clients that you understand where the national market is heading, and how that impacts or even differs from what is going on in their own neighborhood.
Show You Care
Your clients are inundated with endless information from countless and they need you to connect the dots for them.
Untangle the jumble of information and break down what it means to the consumer. The data may be ever-changing, but it's critical that you stay on top of these changes and updates. Consumers are counting on you to walk them through it, hand in hand.
It's also key to equip yourself with examples that they can relate to and simple ways to distill concepts, data, and facts down to simpler terms.
Above all else, listen. Really listen to their needs, goals, concerns, and driving forces. What motivates them? Taking the time to listen and understand your clients on a deeper level establishes trust and builds their confidence. Don't let them fear one of their biggest transactions — show them you're here to help, and you care and understand.
Calm Their Fears
To agents, buying and selling a house is small potatoes: you're in the trenches every day, and it's routine at this point.
But for a first-time homebuyer or a retired couple downsizing, these are major life decisions and big changes. And especially in today's market, hesitation, concern, and plain old fear is rampant.
To help calm these fears, and connect with your clients to boost their confidence, take time to ask key questions like:
How can I make this process easier for you?
What's a burning question about the market that you have?
Tell me your top three concerns about putting your house on the market.
Always be honest — consumers appreciate when you are upfront. And while you don't need to sugarcoat, make sure you're delivering your answers with some degree of gentleness. Make sure you also avoid using language that sounds manipulative or salesy. Focus on delivering a personalized, hands-on, expertise-driven experience in order to build trust and ease fears.
To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.
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NAR Announces 2023 Fair Housing Champion Award Winners
The National Association of Realtors and Realtor.com honored three winners of the Fair Housing Champion Awards during NAR's Fair Housing Month event, "At What Price? Overcoming Barriers to Homeownership." Honorees received recognition for their efforts to widen homeownership access in their communities.
With the Fair Housing Champion Award, Realtors® are recognized for going above and beyond to promote fair housing and increase homeownership in underserved communities. Sponsored by Realtor.com®, the Award provides a $5,000 prize that winners can dedicate to a housing-related nonprofit organization of their choice.
"In every ZIP code in America, NAR is dedicated to fostering the development of thriving, inclusive communities," said NAR President Kenny Parcell. "Affordability and fair housing are the biggest challenges facing the real estate industry today and I am so proud of all the work our winners have put in to increase access to homeownership. They have set an example of leadership and I hope their work will motivate others to take action."
This year's winners:
Abra Barnes is the broker-owner of Barnes & Associates, REALTORS® in Birmingham, Alabama. The brokerage is a full-service firm assisting with residential sales, commercial sales and leasing, investor coaching, new construction marketing and acquisitions. Barnes & Associates is also passionate about working in low- to moderate-income areas in Birmingham, empowering clients with the knowledge they need to purchase real estate and build generational wealth. Although Barnes' 41 agents' focus is residential real estate, Barnes primary focus is commercial real estate. She works with affordable housing developers, nonprofits, and fledgling business owners who are seeking their first brick-and-mortar space. Barnes helped raise awareness of the lingering effects of past discrimination as executive producer of "Lenders, Landlords, and the Law: A Fair Housing Reflection on Diversity and Inclusion."
Sofia Crisp is the executive director at Housing Consultants Group in Greensboro and High Point, North Carolina. Crisp, a 30-year veteran in the business and 2023 president of the Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association, leverages her industry knowledge and community connections to build bridges to homeownership. She operates HCG as a nonprofit brokerage working with the city of Greensboro, nonprofit organizations, lenders, and a nonprofit builder to help clients get into new homes at an affordable cost.
Frank J. Williams is the managing director of F.J. Williams Realty in Chicago, Illinois. Williams has been a fierce advocate for fair housing legislation on the state and local level where he believes fair housing isn't just about integrating neighborhoods—it's also about integrating the industry. He was president of the Southside Chicago chapter of the NAACP from 1979 to 1985, president of the Chicago Association of REALTORS® in 1989, CAR REALTOR® of the Year in 1992, and an inductee into the CAR Hall of Fame in 2017. Williams opened his real estate brokerage on the southwest side of Chicago in January 1971 where he continues his crusade as a broker, educator and leader today.
"Discrimination and a lack of housing affordability disproportionately impact marginalized communities and that makes it harder for many individuals to gain access to homeownership and start building generational wealth," said Realtor.com® Chief Marketing Officer Mickey Neuberger. "Reator.com® applauds these Fair Housing Champions for their progress towards ensuring greater fair housing access for everyone and embodying the core values of our "To Each Their Home" tagline by helping close the homeownership gap."
See more information and read more about the award winners here.
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How Hosting Community Events Can Help You Grow Your Business FAST
Want to get more business without asking for business? It can be done, and the secret is in hosting community events.
In fact, this method is so effective that California Realtor Dave Archuletta went from being a brand-new agent in 2020 to doing an estimated $80 million in volume in 2022.
You can use this local events strategy to grow your business, too, and build trust in your community! Watch the video above to learn:
How to throw community events
Growing clubs and leagues from the ground up
How to create events you're passionate about
How to create new business without asking for it
And more!
Related Reading
Hosting Events to Build Your Real Estate Business
How Tapping Into Your Community Builds Your Business
Advanced Lead Generation: Hosting a Seminar
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[Best of 2022] 22 Ideas for Showing Clients Your Appreciation
We're continuing an annual tradition of counting down our top 10 articles of the year. The following article was originally published in September and is #7 in our countdown. See #8 here.
A thoughtful gift or act of service goes a long way. It not only inspires goodwill, but it puts you top of mind with your sphere. And gifts often beget gifts--whether that be in the form of recommendations, referrals, repeat business, or beyond.
But what's an impactful way to show clients your appreciation? (Hint: It's not branded merch!) Jimmy Burgess, CEO of BHHS Beach Properties of Florida, shares 22 unique client appreciation ideas in the video above. Try a few to help establish and maintain warm relationships with your clients and community.
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Showing Gratitude to Your Community as a Real Estate Agent
The community you farm and work in has afforded you a bountiful harvest of success. Why not show a little gratitude by planting a few seeds in the soil that you've nurtured to get to where you are? Here are a few ideas real estate agents can use to give back to their community. Remember! You don't have to wait 'til Thanksgiving to be thankful, this can be done year round.
1. Support Your Clients with Time
The gift of time is something that can't be transferred or refunded. Continue maintaining relationships with your past and future clients by giving them a little bit of time. Many people within your network will be pursuing charitable efforts during this time of the year, and it would be greatly appreciated if you were to participate. Your actions can say a lot about you as a person.
2. Have a Team Charity Event
Coordinate an event with you, your team, agents in your office, or anybody with in your network. Do some volunteering — maybe do a 5K. Just get out there and let people know you don't just sell to your community, but you are also a member of it.
3. Help Jump Start an Agent's Career
Do you remember when you first started real estate? Mentoring a budding new agent is a great way to pay it forward to whoever mentored you when you were a rookie. An additional benefit is that by assuming a teacher role, you can strengthen the knowledge base you currently have. You will also be reminded of some important bits of info that you may have forgotten over time.
4. Use Social Media to Highlight a Cause You Care About
It's one thing to "like and share" posts on Facebook, but it's another to highlight a cause you care about and rally other people to care about it too. If there is something that you are passionate about fixing in your community, talk about it on social media! Others that share that passion will help drive your message and help connect you with like-minded individuals.
5. Give Blood
There will always be a need for this, and who knows, you might even save a life! This can also be highlighted on social media. Just remember, charity should not be done for the "likes." So instead of bragging about how philanthropic you are, encourage others to follow suit and donate blood, too (or to another charity of your choosing).
To view the original article, visit the Zurple blog.
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So What Do You Do About That Nightmare Client You Fired?
There will be some occasions where a potential client is giving off red flags, but you ignore them because the commission check is substantial. The client has been through three other agents before you, and certainly you have something different that will keep that client satisfied, right? And after that client holds you to impossibly high standards due to their unrealistic expectations, you decide to fire them. How do you deal with firing a client?
Here are things to remember when firing a client:
Keep It Professional
Thank for them for the opportunity, and tell them you want them to be happy with the result, but you aren't the right person for that. They might be quick to use colorful language, but you don't have to (and shouldn't) lower yourself to that level. Instead, always be cordial and wanting to keep their best interests in mind. If you are being trashed in a public online forum, don't let future prospects think you are a petty agent. Be likable.
It Benefits You to Be Picky
Remind yourself that since this is your business, you get to choose who you will work with. You can choose based on matching personalities. You can also choose to accept clients to further build your reputation in your given niche. You are your own boss and have the right to refuse service — meaning you get to choose who you work with. This can be a positive thing. Sometimes you should choose clients that you know you can properly service.
Respond to All Reviews
If the breakup wasn't a smooth one, they may want to paint a negative picture of you online. This part can be tricky. You should always respond to every review, negative or positive. You can always reply with a message such as, "I'm sorry your particular needs are something I was not able to cater to. I hope you are able to find what you are looking for!" This will help improve your online reputation, and portray you in a more flattering light.
Move On
Focus on whatever is next for you in your real estate business. There are plenty of past, current, and future clients who will be incredibly grateful for the service that you have provided them. Keep nurturing those relationships, and that time invested will result in more income from the referrals they provide you.
To view the original article, visit the Zurple blog.
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Meet the Winners of NAR's 2022 Good Neighbor Awards
The National Association of Realtors has announced its 2022 Good Neighbor Awards winners. For 23 years, the Good Neighbor Awards has recognized Realtors who make an extraordinary impact on their communities through volunteer work. The five individuals named as this year's winners exemplify how Realtors make their communities a better place to live, work and raise a family.
The 2022 Good Neighbor Award winners are as follows:
Jennifer Barnes, Keller Williams Realty Peachtree Road, Brookhaven, Georgia, founder of Solidarity Sandy Springs
Dennis Curtin, Legacy Investments, Kansas City, Missouri, founder of Mimi's Pantry
Jim Edmonds, Emerald Isle Properties, Kilauea, Hawaii, founder of Permanently Affordable Living (PAL) Kaua'i
Heather Griesser LaPierre, RE/MAX Preferred Newtown Square, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, founder of Kids Against Hunger Philadelphia
MaliVai Washington, Diamond Life Real Estate, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, founder of MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation
"I am so proud to honor our Good Neighbor Award winners for how they've effected change to improve the lives of others in their communities," said NAR President Leslie Rouda Smith, a Realtor® from Plano, Texas, and a broker associate at Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate in Dallas. "Each of these Realtors® has devoted hundreds of hours a year and raised huge sums of money for their respective causes. I salute them for their vision, dedication, passion and selfless generosity."
Each of the five winners – selected by a multi-stage, criteria-based judging process – will receive a $10,000 grant for their charity and be featured in the fall 2022 issue of REALTOR® Magazine. They will also be presented with crystal trophies on November 12 during NAR NXT, NAR's annual conference that will take place in Orlando, Florida this year.
More About Each Winner:
Jennifer Barnes, Keller Williams Realty Peachtree Road, Brookhaven, Georgia
In 2020, Jennifer Barnes thought she would feed people for just a few weeks until the COVID-19-induced shutdowns ended. That experience opened her eyes to an underlying vulnerability in her affluent, Atlanta-area neighborhood that extended well beyond food. She founded the nonprofit, Solidarity Sandy Springs, which inspires more than 2,600 volunteers to provide wide-ranging community services for thousands of families, including free eye exams and glasses, flu vaccines, job fairs, back-to-school backpacks and more. Barnes has also distributed nearly one million pounds of food to approximately 46,000 shoppers.
Watch video
Read more
Dennis Curtin, Legacy Investments, Kansas City, Missouri
Dennis Curtin founded Mimi's Pantry to offer a more positive food pantry experience to people in need. The state-of-the-art, 6,000-square-foot facility welcomes shoppers to browse the aisles and choose their food, just as they would in a grocery store. The nonprofit invested in commercial refrigeration equipment and offers fresh meat, produce and milk. It also has a play area and library for kids and is currently building a greenhouse and an orchard of fruit trees and berry bushes. In three years, it has served 50,000 individuals.
Watch video
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Jim Edmonds, Emerald Isle Properties, Kilauea, Hawaii
Since the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i may only have a handful of homes for sale under $1 million at any time, Jim Edmonds, founder of nonprofit Permanently Affordable Living (PAL) Kaua'i, partners with other nonprofits to build and convert affordable housing for workers. Edmonds navigates the complex challenges of poor infrastructure and resource scarcity through innovative, cost-saving solutions like solar energy, edible landscaping, shared electric vehicles and shared bicycles.
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Heather Griesser LaPierre, RE/MAX Preferred Newtown Square, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
To address food insecurity in her neighborhood and worldwide, Heather Griesser LaPierre founded Kids Against Hunger Philadelphia. She rallies hundreds of volunteers each month to pack nutritious, ready-to-make pasta- and rice-based meals. When schools were shut down in 2021, she doubled production to 350,000 meals per month to ensure children who depended on school lunches were fed. Since 2015, she has packed and distributed more than 9 million meals.
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MaliVai Washington, Diamond Life Real Estate, Jacksonville Beach, Florida
For 26 years, MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation (MWYF) founder Mal Washington has been breaking the cycle of poverty through a vibrant after-school mentoring program. Originally rooted in his beloved sport of tennis, MWYF now serves 500 kids annually through a comprehensive youth development program of academic tutoring, leadership skills, financial training and fitness. He is proud of the 100% high school graduation rate of the program as the surrounding neighborhood's dropout rate is 20%.
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Honorable Mentions
In addition to the winners, the following five Realtors® have been recognized as Good Neighbor Award honorable mentions and will each receive $2,500 grants for their charity:
Tamara "Tami" Hicks, Century 21 Signature Real Estate, Ames, Iowa, for Overflow Thrift Store, which has raised more than a half million dollars for charities and has saved millions of items from landfills.
Lisa Hoeve, Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt, Holland, Michigan, for Hope Pkgs, which has provided overnight comfort bags to more than 4,200 foster children.
Debbie McCabe, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®, and the Trident Group, Devon, Pennsylvania, for Covenant House Pennsylvania, which houses and empowers young people facing homelessness.
Debbie Miller, Webpro Realty, Lakeland, Florida, for kidsPACK, which feeds 3,000 children on weekends when they don't get school lunch.
Kathy Opperman, Long & Foster Collegeville, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, for Pillars of Light and Love, which has offered 800 free workshops and support groups to build self-esteem and resilience in adults and kids.
NAR's Good Neighbor Awards is supported by primary sponsor Realtor.com® as well as the Center for REALTOR® Development.
Web Choice Favorites
In September, Realtor.com® invited the public to vote for their favorite of the 10 finalists. The top three vote-getters all received additional donations for their charities. The following Realtors® have been crowned as this year's Web Choice Favorites:
Kathy Opperman, who will receive an additional $2,500 bonus donation for Pillars of Light and Love
Debbie Miller, who will receive an additional $1,250 bonus donation for kidsPACK
Lisa Hoeve, who will receive an additional $1,250 bonus donation for Hope Pkgs
"We were thrilled to see more than 129,000 people voted for their favorite award finalist," said Realtor.com® CMO Mickey Neuberger. "At Realtor.com®, community has always been at our core, which is why we are happy to sponsor the Good Neighbor Awards and help further amplify the amazing work of these honorees. These Realtor® heroes saw a need and took positive action to make their communities a better place."
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How to Work with Millennial and Gen-Z Clients
Those in the Millennial generation and younger now make up more than half of the U.S. population and account for more than 38% of today's homebuyers--by far the largest proportion among all generations. That percentage will only keep growing as Millennials and Gen-Zers age and continue to enter the real estate market.
So often, this is portrayed as a worrisome prospect since these individuals are more digitally minded and tech-savvy than any other generation. Business owners are told to adapt or get left behind. There is truth to this, but for real estate agents, it's not the gloom-and-doom scenario that it's made out to be. That's because agents have been incorporating online search and communication methods into the way they work with clients for years now.
Consider this: More than 90% of Millennial buyers are using the internet to search for their dream home. While that's the highest share among all age groups, others also frequently use third-party search sites at high rates to search for homes.
We've witnessed agents adapting as these statistics continue to rise. Every year, more agents across the country are using the Homesnap app to collaborate with clients on their home search. The upward trend we've seen at Homesnap, especially as it relates to mobile, reflects broader home-buying trends. Nearly 80% of Millennials who used their smartphone to look at properties ended up finding their future home on their mobile device, according to the 2020 NAR Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends report.
This generation's clear preference for on-demand, on-the-go access is not something to feel anxiety over. There is no ambiguity in how they want to conduct their search—only an opportunity for agents to meet them where they are and work together in an efficient way.
If you aren't already using Homesnap with your clients, you should be. It's the most user-friendly app, both for tech-savvy young people and older generations that aren't as digitally inclined. It's always ad-free, too, as we never sell space on listing pages to competing agents.
Here are the top three ways you can use the Homesnap app to guide your clients on their home-buying journey.
1. Agent-Client Connection
To use Homesnap with your clients, first make sure you are connected in the app. This protects your relationship by giving them a search experience that is branded to you. That means that as clients look at properties, the only agent they will see and be able to contact in Homesnap is you.
This connected relationship also gives you clear insight into their home search. As their primary agent, you will be able to see the properties they view and favorite, as well as receive News Feed alerts when the status of a favorited property changes.
To connect with your clients in the Homesnap app, simply tap the Invite icon in the Me tab or share your profile link via email or text. When they register or accept your invitation (if they already had an account), we will automatically create a connected relationship. You can view your client list to see who has accepted and resend an invitation if needed.
2. Searching for Properties
We are a partner to your local MLS. As such, you can count on Homesnap to show accurate, real-time housing data. We continually sync our system with the MLS to ensure we capture new and updated listing information.
When you start working with your client in Homesnap, be sure to show them these powerful search capabilities:
Search by Commute: This handy tool allows you to input multiple addresses so you can find a home that is within a particular drive time of all locations that are important to you. For example, your clients can limit their search to only homes that are within 20 minutes of work, daycare, the gym, a particular school and grandma's house.
Custom Area Search: Searching at the zip code, neighborhood or city level doesn't always capture all the locations a client is considering moving to. For added flexibility, you can draw a custom search area on the map and only see homes located within those borders.
School Attendance Zones: Clients who have children often want to ensure their kids can attend a particular school. With Homesnap's Schools layer, you can search for homes located in a specified school's attendance zone.
Saved Search: When you (or your clients) get to searching, you'll likely be adding filters on top of Search by Commute details within a custom-drawn area. You don't need to redo your specifications every time you power up Homesnap. When all your criteria are in place, just tap Save Search. You can name it (e.g., The Johnson's first choice) and enable push notifications and/or emails to alert you whenever there is new market activity within your search parameters.
3. In-app Communication
Since you're already collaborating with your clients in Homesnap, it makes sense to centralize your communication in the app as well. That way, your clients aren't searching their emails and texts trying to find that one property you sent four days ago. It'll all be easily accessible within Homesnap.
When you share a property with your client via in-app messages, that conversation is noted on the property listing page under the heading "Related Conversations." Agents and clients alike find this helpful when they've been viewing numerous properties and need help remembering whether they've already shared a particular home.
A Final Thought
Today's buyers expect their home search to include digital components. Make sure you're encouraging your clients to connect with you in Homesnap and use the app to make their home-buying journey a smooth one. The experience will make your clients feel like part of the process, instead of like onlookers, during the search for their dream home.
To view the original article, visit the Homesnap blog.
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How to Fire a Real Estate Client Gracefully
Doug Rogers brings us a great post about how to fire a real estate client gracefully. No agent likes to let go of business, but sometimes circumstances just don't play out right and you have to cut someone loose. So how do you initiate an amicable split?
Here's Doug:
The excitement of working with a new client begins to fade as the showings mount up. Perhaps they write low-ball offers or refuse to keep the listing show-ready. Whatever the case may be, at some you have to pull the plug.
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Firing a Client
1. Will this relationship end in a check?
Much like the world's oldest profession, real estate is all about the bucks. Ever worked with a client you KNEW would never buy or sell? Yep, me too.
2. Are the clients being realistic based on the market?
Would your buyer's offer have been laughed at even during the Great Recession? Good luck getting that junk offer laced with concessions to be taken seriously in a seller's market.
3. Who is REALLY calling the shots?
The name on the title indicates the owner, not necessarily the decision maker. Parents selling their home in Memphis may have know-it-all kids in Kansas telling them what to do.
4. Are they missing or chronically late for appointments?
I respect my client's time, so a client who can't respect my time will not remain a client for long.
5. Do they take your advice?
If not, that's a big red flag. You're the expert, and your expertise is what they're paying you for!
6. Are you dealing with a correctable issue?
If so, talk to your client and be specific about what needs to change. Pay very close attention to how this conversation goes—you'll have to use your judgment to decide the fate of the relationship.
If You Decide to Fire the Client, End the Business Relationship Gracefully
1. Make the choice to terminate a business relationship.
Don't waffle. If you need to move on, decide to do it and stick to your guns.
2. Write down specific reasons why you are ending the relationship.
Not only will it help you if your client has further questions, you can also refer back to this list in moments of weakness.
3. Formally end the relationship.
The best way to manage this is to have a face-to-face meeting in your office. If there are safety concerns, the phone is your next best option. Whatever you do, don't have this discussion in the driveway at the end of a home tour (I have done this) or while the seller is cooking dinner for her kids (yep, been there too).
Let's be honest—firing a client means you are missing an opportunity for a paycheck, right? Not necessarily. Difficult clients can be draining of your time, gas money and energy. Imagine all the LOST business opportunities this client may have cost you!
Be sure to treat the soon-to-be fired client with respect and dignity. But most importantly, move on. Real estate is a numbers game!
To view the original article, visit the Zurple blog.
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How to Stay Connected With Your Growing Clientele
Real estate agents who only focus on generating new customers risk losing the long game. If you want to stay connected with your growing clientele, continuous relationship building is key. This means staying top of mind, expanding your network, and generating repeat and referral business.
Your current clients are the ones who can bring you referrals and ultimately more business. Staying connected with your clients is not only vital to your personal brand and business, but to increasing your bottom line over the long-term.
Here's how to stay top of mind with your real estate clients:
Get to know your clients – beyond their name, number and email
Having a list of client names, emails, and phone numbers isn't valuable if you don't have the information you need to build lasting relationships. Developing a rich contact profile for each of your clients is important. This includes details like their contact history, market interests, birthday, and move-in anniversary. Remembering details beyond the basics can go a long way in building lasting connections. It's also these very details that you can use to develop and send relevant, valuable content to your clients.
Organize your contact database and make it work for you
Using a Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) to collect and organize your client information will help you stay on top of your clients' needs and capture new referrals in one easy-to-manage system. Automated CRMs will send you reminders to check in with your contacts. They will also help organize your contacts by their interests and location. Strategically timed follow-ups are the key to hitting the right balance in communication frequency.
Connect with your real estate clientele by sending consistent, meaningful messages
As you know, real estate is a relationship business and long-term business success is linked to whether or not you are helping your clients solve a problem. It's important to develop helpful and meaningful content that you can consistently share with your leads and current client base.
Here are a few ideas:
Send an automated monthly newsletter
Monthly e-news is a great way to consistently stay in touch with your clients throughout the year. One touch point every month isn't overwhelming for your clients, but it's also timely enough to avoid being forgotten. Investing in a powerful real estate email marketing platform will give you access to high impact email marketing features that build professional and engaging email campaigns.
Use a drip campaign
By using drip campaigns, you can automatically send targeted market insights to your clients at the right time. To keep your clients interested, don't make the mistake of spamming them with useless information. Send them data, tips and community snapshots that they can use and take action on.
Get social
Creating a blog and using social media platforms is one of the best ways to stay top of mind. Be consistently present in clients' social media feeds by posting regularly to remind them of you. This also makes it so easy for them to share content from your blog, drip campaigns, and e-news with their networks.
Be the expert your clients know and trust
If you are seen as a trusted expert, contacts and clients are more than willing to reach out to you. The best content marketing is about a topic connecting the reader to the real estate industry. This includes topics such as home renovations or new neighborhood amenities.
As a real estate agent, you are already familiar with the fact that it's more about the experience than the house. The same applies to content marketing. Your goal is to become a broader resource than an agent. This way, you are simultaneously strengthening your personal brand and positioning yourself as the expert.
Remember: Gathering and organizing your client information is the first step
You can't be top of mind, send relevant content to your clients, and stay in touch consistently if you don't have your client data organized in a single system. Whether it's through referrals, a website call-to-action, or new, updated information for an existing client, always capture client data and contact information in your CRM.
To view the original article, visit the IXACT Contact blog.
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5 Ways You Can Help a Non-digital Client Go Digital
When you have a client that struggles with technology, you might be inclined to print out all the transaction-related paperwork, providing them with only physical copies. But you might want to consider a different strategy to help make their life -- and yours -- a lot less taxing. And in the process, you will save a lot of trees.
It's likely that even if you work primarily with younger home buyers and sellers, you will find that not all your clients are digital natives or tech-savvy. For these clients, technology can feel intimidating or make someone feel like they are failing if they can't get it to work.
How can you help a non-digital client go digital?
First, a caveat: this strategy may work for many of your non-digital clients, but not all. Some clients will be best served by providing paper copies of everything.
However, you should find that most of your clients who resist using technology will be won over when they discover their WIFM: what's in it for them!
1. Like Facebook, show the value
Vital to helping a client welcome a digital approach is to focus on the value of one technology tool. A great place to start is with a transaction management program such as Form Simplicity.
Because Form Simplicity is both agent-centric and has client-facing components, it’s easy to show the value of a digital transaction right away versus a paper-intensive one.
Facebook is an excellent example of technology that non-technology-centric people once resisted. Two things changed that. First, like Form Simplicity, Facebook became easier and easier to use over time. Second, people who were resisting discovered the value of using Facebook. They watch their friends use Facebook to see what is happening with family and friends all over the country.
The value that Facebook delivers helps those who are intimidated by technology overcome their hesitations and try it out. Once a non-tech-savvy person figured Facebook out, they were often hooked. Facebook’s success with non-digital natives is striking, with more than one in five US users at least 55 years old.
For agents, using a digital transaction management program like Form Simplicity for your transaction overcomes the ease-of-use obstacle and delivers value: everything is online, available all the time. In addition, digital documentation provides real value as paperwork is never lost or misplaced because when you go digital, every document your client needs can be found in one place.Clients can access and efficiently fill out forms online, saving them time. They don’t have to wait for a form to be dropped off – and with eSign, they can sign from anywhere. When the forms are emailed back to the agent, they are automatically tied to their transaction – stored in one place for their agent to access. Clients can also review forms and files that they are given access to and share comments, which their agent sees in real-time.
Form Simplicity allows the agent to share eSigned files multiple ways. Anyone who was a part of transaction can receive a copy of the file when it is completed. Files also can be directly emailed from a transaction to other parties.
2. Start with easy
When you are working with a client who is apprehensive about technology, slow and steady is the best approach to take in helping them become more comfortable with the idea that technology can offer some great benefits.
Start with something easy, like showing them samples of what they will get because you are using Form Simplicity to keep track of everything for them. Show them what an email update looks like and see if they know how to open – and review – a PDF document. Or assign a task for them, such as sending back a Pre-Approval Form. In Form Simplicity, agents can assign any task to an external contact. The contact will get an email notification about a pending task assigned to them and a reminder when the task is due.
When you demonstrate something that will provide an immediate benefit or value, you can start to win them over on the usefulness of a digitally supported process for their transaction.
3. Be their tech concierge
If you are like the majority of active agents in the US, you have Tech Helpline available to support you when you have a tech glitch or need to figure out what's going wrong; you gain comfort in knowing that Tech Helpline has your back.
You can provide the same comfort to your non-digital clients: provide tech support by offering to be their tech concierge.
By becoming their tech concierge, you can walk them through everything. Give them a hands-on demo from your client’s point of view. Show them how Form Simplicity works to keep them updated and give them access to everything they need. Help them see the value and compare and contrast the digital solution you are showing with the alternative: a stack of papers and a loss of more trees.
4. Personalize everything
One of the pain points that non-digital clients often have is how cold technology can feel. So do the opposite by making sure all of your communications – every email, text, and notification – is highly personalized.
Keep the human touch aspect embedded in your digital communications. You want to make these clients recognize that technology doesn't need to feel impersonal – and can be made to be very personal and engaging.
5. Incentivize use and recognize success
Treat your customer to one of their favorite beverages from your local coffee house at your brokerage conference room or bring it to their kitchen table. A small incentive can go a long way to turning apprehension into interest, as well as set the tone of a safe, helpful place.
Be encouraging too. Cheer on your client every time they show progress. Small wins are meaningful when you don't see yourself as having any technical skills. Echo that sentiment.
Most successful agents already spend a lot of time and effort to make clients feel appreciated. Helping them embrace technology like Form Simplicity by showing them how it will benefit them will make your clients appreciate you – and what you do for them – even more.
Enjoyed this content? Check out these other articles:
The 1 Thing You Must Do After Every Transaction
5 Problems That Form Simplicity Helps Brokers Resolve
Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.
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Dealing with Pushy Real Estate Clients Who Refuse to Negotiate
Eric Kodner, Managing Broker at Wayzata Lakes Realty in Wisconsin and Minnesota, talks about how to deal with stubborn clientele who are unwilling to compromise.
Here's Eric:
We live in the era of the tough guy (or gal).
We've all probably encountered this more than once in the course of real estate negotiations. Whether it's a seller who is absolutely unwilling to compromise or a buyer who is completely unrealistic and inflexible, the end result is the same.
I counsel my clients that success in any real estate transaction begins with setting achievable goals and having realistic expectations.
That requires parties to a transaction who are willing to negotiate. Unfortunately, some folks just don't understand what negotiating is.
Here are some examples of what might be considered the "tough guy behavior" in real estate:
Listing a home "as-is" — The seller draws a line in the sand before the first property showing, essentially saying "whatever you find wrong with the house, don't ask me to fix anything or spend a cent. It's your problem. End of subject."
Refusing to negotiate on price — The buyer who instructs their agent to tell the seller, "This is my one and only offer. Don't bother to counter it." In this instance, it's the buyer who is drawing a line in the sand.
The offer (or counteroffer) with a 24-hour deadline for response — The party writing this kind of offer is saying, "Don't take too much time to think about it; just give me what I want." This type of a short-term deadline sends the message that the person making the offier is insecure and afraid.
The tough guy is a deal-killer and, to some extent, a bully. Tough guy behavior resembles the way dogs bark and growl or bare their fangs when they are afraid. He (or she) wants to win something and they figure the best and easiest way to win is to start a conversation by flatly refusing to negotiate. Their plan is to implement simple scare tactic in the hopes that will produce a positive result.
And who does the tough guy deliver this tough message to? Their listing agent (or buyer's agent) is the one who is the tough guy's proxy, the one who is expected to actually deliver the warning. The tough guy expects their agent to bark, growl and bare their fangs to anyone who dares to propose an offer or a counteroffer. It's a "my way or the highway" mentality.
So what should a real estate agent tell their client who turns out to be a tough guy?
Counsel the tough guy or gal to show some degree of willingness to compromise.
Let them know that in the end, the problem with being an all-or-nothing negotiator is that you greatly increase the risk that you'll wind up with nothing. You may fail to get this message across, but if you succeed, you'll be doing your client a favor.
All you can do is give it your best effort to guide your clients and provide proper expectations to set them up for success!
To learn more about Eric Kodner, visit his website: www.wayzatalakesrealty.com
To view the original article, visit the Zurple blog.
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The 2021 Real Estate Give-Back Guide
BoomTown recently wrapped up the second annual BoomTown Give Back Awards, a very special initiative designed to celebrate the real estate professionals that are paying it forward and creating positive change in their communities.
Three deserving recipients are awarded with The Walk-the-Talk Award, The Creative Changemaker Award, and The Helping Hand Award, and $1,000 each to help them continue to make an impact.
With so many incredible nominations, we're able to learn about dozens of organizations and initiatives that are near and dear to our real estate community. If you are feeling motivated to pay it forward this year and make giving back an integral part of your business, you can leverage this Give-Back Guide to get started!
GiveBack Homes
Giveback Homes is a community of real estate professionals who are committed to creating social change by helping build homes for deserving families around the globe. We work together to organize fundraising events, mobilize teams of volunteer homebuilders, and we inspire others to take action for social good.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that helps families build and improve places to call home. We believe affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities.
The Realtors Relief Foundation
The REALTORS® Relief Foundation (RRF) is a charitable organization dedicated to providing housing-related assistance to victims of disasters. Created as a REALTOR®-driven response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, RRF continues to restore and rebuild communities effected by disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes thanks to the generosity of individual REALTORS®, REALTOR® associations, and affiliated organizations. Together, through the RRF, our community has helped over 17,000 families remain in their homes.
Salvation Army's "Real Estate Wednesdays"
It began in the Spring of 2013 as many great things do, unexpectedly over a quiet lunch between friends. Super volunteer and member of the Salvation Army's National Advisory Board, Marlene Klotz-Collins, was welcoming Joseph and JoAnn Callaway to the organization's Phoenix Advisory Board. JoAnn told Marlene how dedicated she and Joseph were to the red kettles at Christmas. Marlene explained to JoAnn that Wednesdays were a challenge when getting volunteers.
"The Army actually has to hire paid workers to ring bells at many of the kettle locations," Marlene said. JoAnn immediately volunteered herself and Joseph, and by dessert she had volunteered the whole home ownership industry. After months of planning, more than 1,000 real estate agents, title company officers, lenders, and affiliates came together to ring the bells at more than 180 kettle locations throughout Maricopa County. Real Estate Wednesdays was born.
Realty Gift Fund
Realty Gift Fund is a group of nonprofit and real estate professionals who recognize the unique problem of real estate donations, and who established Realty Gift Fund to make a meaningful impact on charitable giving through gifts of real estate.
Opportunity Starts at Home
Opportunity Starts at Home is a long-term, multi-sector campaign to meet the rental housing needs of the nation's low-income people. Housing affordability is central to other national priorities, like health care, food security, education and more. Yet the gap between rents and incomes is growing, and this is compounded by unprecedented threats to federal housing assistance. Proven solutions to ending homelessness and housing instability exist – what's missing is the political will to provide resources that will put these solutions into practice in communities across the nation.
Homes for Heroes
Homes for Heroes provides heroes with more savings than any other national program. When heroes buy or sell a home using Homes for Heroes, they also help other heroes in need because Homes for Heroes, Inc. donates a portion of its earnings to the Homes for Heroes Foundation. This Circle of Giving strengthens American communities by putting more money into the hands of our American heroes, and benefits American community programs, organizations and businesses.
To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.
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How to Understand Your Clients' Emotional Needs to Serve Them Better
Every decision starts with an emotion, then gets a helping hand from logic.
And while there's plenty to look forward to when buying or selling a home, the entire process can be one of the most stressful anyone will face in their life. When stress runs high, emotions tend to as well.
Ambiguity – about things like financing, the logistics of the move, and whether it will be worth it in the end – triggers heightened states of tension. There's no way to know in advance how everything will play out, so these feelings can't be resolved completely.
But the emotional component of real estate isn't just about distress.
The full spectrum of emotions plays into decision-making.
Let's look at it from the buyer perspective:
There can be a great deal of excitement about the potential to become a homeowner
There can be apprehension and emotional conflict about whether one is "really ready"
They may be getting supportive or not-so-supportive feedback within their social circle
And now, from the seller perspective:
Depending on their relationship with their existing property, they may need to mourn
They may be moving under positive (new job) or negative (death in the family) circumstances
They might feel a strong attraction toward some future options, but not know what to pick
All these possibilities and more swirl around every transaction. It's up to each real estate agent to get a fix on the emotional tone of the transaction their clients hope to have within the first few conversations, if not the very first one.
The better you understand your clients' emotions, the better you can serve their needs.
Should a Real Estate Agent Be a Therapist?
In many customer care roles, representatives feel like they must "be a therapist" to those they're working with. Please do not, in your role as a real estate professional, try to be a therapist.
If early conversations leave you feeling that there are intense emotions or highly charged circumstances you are unprepared to deal with, you can choose to pass or refer that client elsewhere. You aren't obligated to take on any client, no matter their story. Outside of those situations, what are real estate agents called on to do? What are some of the best ways to help your clients work through the myriad of emotions they'll inevitably feel when buying or selling a home?
The answer is simple: Be empathetic, but stay grounded.
Clients don't need someone to ride out all the highs and lows of their emotions with them. Instead, they need a trusted guide – someone who understands what they're going through but will focus on keeping them steady throughout their journey. That's where you come in, and this mindset gives you a much more focused set of goals with which to work!
Providing the Right Level of Emotional Support to Real Estate Clients
What "emotional support" looks like varies based on the stage of your transaction.
While not all clients need lots of support, all should have the chance to use that support should they require it. Your initial investment of time in putting the right resources in place might be formidable. Still, the work is worth it. Once those assets are in place and optimized, you:
Spend only modest time fine-tuning processes and will rarely rebuild them from scratch
Deliver a consistent, high-quality customer experience to everyone who works with you
This begins with the basic "DNA" of your business. Then, individual client interactions deepen it.
Start with Clarity in Your Real Estate Website
The vast majority of your future clients will find you on the internet. They often visit your site at a time when they haven't made a commitment to buy or sell. It's likely they do not know any real estate agents or brokers personally. At this stage, there is a lot they don't know, and they're not sure who can help.
Ambiguity is the name of the game here, and that's true for both buyers and sellers. Reducing ambiguity is a valuable emotional service that guides leads to contact you. Since your website reflects your authentic voice, it has the potential to do much of the work.
Here's how:
Provide Helpful and Informative Content Aimed at Your Ideal Clients - Buyers and sellers have common questions and issues they struggle with. It may seem you're writing the millionth article on specific topics, but infuse them all with local knowledge and insight into your customers, and you'll create helpful resources that make life easier for them.
Make It Simple to Contact You and to Schedule an Appointment - Understanding others' communication preferences is a vital part of being emotionally present. Not all clients want Facetime to pop up and start a call when they click "Contact us." It's wise to be available in several forms, including phone, email, text, and social media.
Introduce Yourself, What You Do, and Who You Do It For - It's not always easy for people outside the industry to differentiate one real estate agent from the other. A dry list of credentials won't do it. One of the fastest, most powerful ways to make a human connection is to record a video that introduces you and answers questions in a relatable way. Once a lead becomes a customer, leverage that early trust with further support:
Practice Active Listening - At its core, "active listening" means listening closely to what others say rather than waiting for your turn to speak. Clients will often give you all you need to know about their motivations, perceived limitations, and hot-button emotional issues. Prompt them with open-ended questions, then really hear them.
Set Expectations for Each Stage of the Process - Each step in a transaction asks something different of your client. They'll need to align themselves with those requirements emotionally. Get used to explaining each fork in the road in a clear, calm way—as well as "why" things are done that way. Many people need this piece to feel confident.
Provide a Logical Basis for Decision-Making - Emotions can drive clients to act in hasty, sometimes self-defeating ways. Bring data into decision-making whenever possible so clients have a factual basis for their choices. This is especially crucial in helping sellers set their asking price. A thorough comparative analysis is indispensable!
Check in on Clients' Feelings at Key Junctures - It's rarely inappropriate to ask, "How are you feeling about this?" when talking to a client. That's extra true when unexpected news (good or bad!) has just presented itself. Sometimes, negative emotions can be nipped in the bud by "giving permission" for clients to be open and forthright.
At its heart, real estate is about relationships. Relationships can't exist without emotions, and rapport is created when the other person feels heard and understood. By watching for opportunities to respect and validate clients' feelings, you can help them manage their buying or selling odyssey without feeling like they are trapped in a pressure cooker. That brings you both peace of mind.
Serve your clients better with technology. RE Technology readers can try DeltaNET 6 free for 30 days.
To view the original article, visit the Delta Media Group blog.
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Keeping the Human Element in the Emerging Age of the iBuyer
Despite some disruption during the early days of COVID-19 shutdowns, the iBuyer model represents a growing segment of the real estate market. In Q2 2021, iBuyers represented a one percent market share, with 15,000 homes sold for $5.3 billion, according to a recent report by Zillow.
Like many other technological breakthroughs, the advent of the iBuyer model brought with it fears of industry disruption and a retreat from the human-centered service model that real estate agents strive to deliver. However, the reality is somewhat more complicated. While iBuyer services offer additional convenience to both buyers and sellers, these are generally outweighed by the benefits of a more personal, human approach.
In many ways, the unique value proposition (UVP) offered by an iBuyer service is not new. Most promise a quick turnaround of 24-48 hours for an initial offer, removing much of the uncertainty and ambiguity associated with a traditional market sale. In addition, iBuyers generally buy without the need for extensive repair lists, home staging, and long waits for offers from interested buyers.
This is a similar service to that provided by many traditional real estate investors, and the seller appeal and overall business model is similar for both. This suggests that iBuyers may not be taking a bite out of the traditional market for most listing agents. They're simply using their data-gathering capabilities to target those homeowners who would have likely sold to and through an investor.
Here's how to make the potential of iBuyers work for you:
1. Know and define the service you offer
While iBuyers offer some advantages, they are nothing compared to the advantages of working with a well-qualified, knowledgeable real estate agent. These include:
Marketing expertise and a professional network that puts you in touch with scores of buyer agents in your area
Professional insight and an awareness of home value potential based on real-world experience in transactions and in your local market
Expertise in negotiations and in-depth buyer insight along with a fiduciary duty to provide the best possible service to your clients
Experience in dozens or hundreds of transactions, so that you can guide clients through every step of the process
Ability and willingness to follow up after the sale with home valuations and community information as needed to optimize the potential of the property.
2. Clearly communicate your value proposition
It's not enough for you to know the value you bring to the real estate transaction. You must clearly communicate your UVP so that sellers in your market understand what you offer — and how it translates into a higher sale price for them. Whether you send out emails to your SOI, send mailers to your geographic farm, write a blog, host a podcast, or make videos about your local market, getting the word out is an important part of raising your profile in the communities you serve.
In addition, by staying in touch with your past clients, you can nurture an important source of referrals and recommendations. Let them know that you are always there for their family and friends and let positive word of mouth help you grow your business.
3. Help clients crunch the numbers for themselves
One of the reasons that iBuying isn't for everyone is the reduced sale price they generally offer. This price is normally well below that which could be captured on the open market. Don't be afraid to let your clients entertain an offer from an iBuyer, then show them the comparable values of properties in the area. They will probably find that a traditional sale makes far more financial sense and offers a much greater return on their home investment.
4. Know when working with an iBuyer makes sense
By contrast, there are times when an iBuyer just makes sense for your sellers. Perhaps they need to relocate quickly for a new job. Maybe they need to settle an estate or finalize a divorce settlement. Perhaps they have significant equity in the home and are more interested in a quick transaction than in maximizing their profit. Listen to your sellers, and if an iBuyer makes sense in their specific situation, help them explore it as an option, comparing offers from several services if possible.
While you probably won't earn your accustomed commission, you'll generally earn a fee provided by the iBuyer. In addition, you'll make a big and lasting impression on your clients by putting their needs before your own.
5. Leverage the power of iBuyers in your market
Compare the iBuyers that are active in your market and find ways to connect with them, and use that to your advantage. You may be able to become a partner agent or you may find ways to receive referrals from homeowners who didn't get an offer from the iBuying service. Remember that every movement in the market offers an opportunity. Find the opportunity iBuyers are offering and figure out how to put it to work for you.
To view the original article, visit the Transactly blog.
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Please Join Us in Donating to REALTORS for Relief from Hurricane Ida in Louisiana
Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 hurricane, delivered 150 mile per hour winds and set a path of destruction that killed four and left 1,000,000 without power in Louisiana. Hurricane Ida's winds were 30 MPH stronger than those of Hurricane Katrina.
The Realtors of the Northshore Area Board of REALTORS®, New Orleans Metropolitan Association of REALTORS®, Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS® and Greater Southern MLS as well as Realtors in Mississippi felt the brunt of this natural disaster. The extraordinarily high winds literally made the Mississippi River flow upstream.
Realtors are in desperate need of our help to get their families to safety and then to begin the expensive and arduous task of rebuilding their homes and their businesses.
With the hottest real estate market in history, many Realtors and clients have lost thousands of potential transactions and billions of dollars in value.
Please join us in donating to the Louisiana REALTOR® Relief Program and the Hurricane Ida fund in the KWCares program.
If you haven't seen the devastation yet, take a minute to watch the following video HERE.
If you would like to help, there are several opportunities for you to donate:
1. Louisiana REALTORS® Relief Fund
Louisiana REALTORS® has set up a disaster relief fund that will provide much needed funding for victims of hurricanes and other natural disasters.
The Louisiana REALTORS® Relief Fund was established in 2005 as a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation dedicated to providing financial assistance to Realtor members and the consumers they serve in times of natural or man-made disasters. The Fund has provided indispensable assistance to the Realtor community since its implementation following the catastrophic effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Those who have suffered extensive damages due to the occurrence of natural disasters can rely on the relief fund to assist in their recovery and rebuilding efforts. The funds delivered ensure property owners can once again enjoy the pride of ownership, Realtors are able to practice their trade, and communities are revitalized and strengthened.
Now the Louisiana REALTORS® Relief Fund are now going to be used to help Realtors recover from Hurricane Laura.
Please join us in making a donation to help your fellow Realtors in their time of need.
Donate HERE to Help Realtors
2. KWCares.org
KW Cares grants provide much-needed assistance for Keller Williams associates and their families with financial hardship due to sudden emergencies such as: accidents, house fires, medical emergencies and unaffordable funeral and burial expenses. They also respond swiftly to natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and floods, by providing funds for food, lodging, and transportation and by deploying generators, water and other disaster relief supplies. They are up and ready to help Hurricane Ida victims.
You can donate HERE
To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.
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How to Prepare Your Clients for a Natural Disaster
After selling a new home, you encourage your clients to care for their new investments. You might suggest that they buy security systems and ensure they have the right homeowners insurance. But what about preparing for natural disasters? This is a growing concern for homeowners, especially with coastal flood-prone properties.
From floods and earthquakes to wildfires and hurricanes, natural disasters can do costly damage to homes and belongings. In fact, natural disasters rack up an annual average of over $162.5 billion in damages. And while home insurance helps, it may not cover everything.
Before the next disaster hits, make sure your clients aren't left in the dark (literally and figuratively). Stay informed on what most people overlook when preparing for a natural disaster, and help your customers keep their belongings safe.
Here's a list to get you started.
1. Have a Plan for Your Pets
Most homeowners have a plan for how they'll move themselves and their families out of disaster zone, but not everyone plans ahead for their pets.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says it's imperative that pet owners follow evacuation orders and bring their pets with them in a disaster situation. The best way to protect four-legged friends is to build an emergency pet plan. Your Local Security has a detailed pet emergency resource page full of sample pet-specific disaster preparedness plans, guidelines for caring for a pet throughout a disaster, and pet supply kit lists.
2. Backup Electronic Data
From tablets to TVs to smartphones, Americans have dozens of electronic items that could be destroyed if exposed to the elements during a natural disaster. Though you can encourage your clients to store electronic items off the ground and plug them in to surge protectors, there's little guarantee that sensitive gadgets will be able to weather a storm securely. Fortunately, most electronics are replaceable. What can't be as easily replaced is the data they contain.
The general rule is to make three copies of data, store it in at least two different formats, and make sure one copy is stored somewhere safe. How-To Geek has a handy guide for handling data in natural disasters, which you can pass on to any clients who work with a lot of digital information.
3. Take or Safely Store Irreplaceable Goods
One-of-a-kind items valued for family significance will be impossible to replace if destroyed in a natural disaster, as will antique collectibles. Fortunately, experts at the Smithsonian have an entire Cultural Rescue Initiative, a global effort to protect and preserve cultural artifacts in disaster-ridden areas. The Smithsonian also shares tips on how to prepare these valuable heirlooms for an emergency.
Make sure your clients are apprised of the resources available for heirloom care before and after a disaster. The National Heritage Responders are a team of conservators that offer 24/7 advice and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has various tip sheets for salvaging flood- and fire-damaged family keepsakes.
4. Take Inventory of Specialty Items and Valuables
Custom woodworking tools, a studio stocked with photography equipment, or a library of antique books — these types of prized possessions are often incredibly valuable and expensive. They can also be the most difficult to secure in the event of a natural disaster.
While your clients may not be able to guarantee the safety of their specialty goods during a severe weather event, they can take steps to ensure easier replacement after the event is over. Advise your buyers to take an excellent inventory of every item, including pictures and serial numbers. They should also talk to an insurance professional about the possibility of putting an additional rider on their home insurance policy to cover high-value items.
5. Important Documents
In an emergency situation, few people remember to take care of important documents like birth certificates or property deeds. While some documents may seem inconsequential, the process of replacing official records and licenses can be taxing and time consuming.
FEMA has a great resource detailing which documents should be protected. With the right organization and prep work, it's relatively easy to save paperwork from disaster. They just need to be electronically copied and then stored in a safe container—like a waterproof bag, fireproof safe, or a safe-deposit box.
Passing Disaster-Preparedness Tips Along to Clients
You sold your clients their homes—now help them protect their investments. You can be a valuable resource to your buyers by sharing emergency preparedness tips with them. Use this email template and checklist to encourage your clients to take disaster preparedness seriously:
Dear [Client Name],
You've invested a lot in making your house a home, and we want to help you keep that investment safe from natural disasters. Attached is a checklist of 15 things to consider as you prepare for a severe weather event.
Best,
[Your Name]
With a real estate CRM, you can easily segment leads into lists (e.g., for those who will be/have been impacted by a storm) and email them with mass communication tools. For more details on how to do this, schedule a demo with us today.
To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.
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Delivering a Perfect Client Experience in Today's Real Estate Market
Times are crazy, anxiety is high. Many agents are worried about how to deliver the best consumer experience. They're concerned about their marketing "tone" and sales tactics in general, not wanting to seem pushy or aggressive when many folks are struggling. It bears repeating, however, that the business of real estate is personal, essential, and a critical boon to families and our overall economic health.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to delivering the ideal consumer experience right now, there is a mentality that you can adopt to frame your approach: the empathetic knowledge broker. People need empathy, answers, and incredible service. Here's how you can deliver.
Offer empathy, and meet them where they are
We could all use a little empathy, but navigating a major real estate move right now can generate some extra need. As always, listen to their needs, put yourself in their shoes, and tailor your communication accordingly. But this year, more than ever, it's crucial to make it easy for your prospects, and meet them where they are.
Provide an intuitive search experience so prospects can navigate your website and search capabilities with ease.
Beef up the information and helpful resources on your website to make it more convenient to find answers (and position yourself as a source of knowledge!).
Make sure you have a solid app experience, so consumers can "look when they want to look."
Offer virtual tools to aid their search:
Virtual tours of properties on your website
Virtual open house events to showcase new listings
The ability to request a virtual showing of a property of interest
Provide education, answers, and the strategic guidance they need
Everyone is looking for answers. Homebuyers and sellers are definitely looking for answers. Don't make them think. Make sure you are committed to understanding the market, clearing up misinformation, and communicating your expertise to prepare and reassure your prospects.
Boost your learning with resources from industry experts like KCM, as well as national and local market data.
Reach out proactively with market updates and your own take on new happenings and trends to keep prospects informed automatically.
Deliver information that is particularly meaningful right now: school district data, lifestyle scorings, etc.
Create videos, blog posts, social media posts to help people interpret market data and make decisions easier.
Not only will you become more comfortable in your industry and market knowledge, you will consistently position yourself as a trustworthy expert and provide the guidance and intel that consumers are desperate for.
Deliver exemplary service, and the engagement they crave
Our friends at KCM have predicted a 25% increase in transactions in 2021 over 2020. This means incredible opportunity, and incredibly busy agents. When clients crave extra service, you need to have a strategy and the support to scale your service offering and deliver. Here's how to generate massive engagement at a personal level.
Engage and Re-engage with Your CRM
Segment your database based on demographics, needs, priorities, shared interests and other criteria used to understand your customers better.
Check in! Reach out to targeted groups to see how they're doing and show empathy. Don't just ask if they're "ready to make a change." Listen and use data to help build confidence.
Host events for the community, invite your database, and create custom landing pages to promote
Promote and share community highlights for free exposure and goodwill
Use personalized marketing automation that works — listing alerts account for 75% of repeat sessions — literally tens of millions of sessions per year.
Engage and Re-engage with Social Media Advertising
Use social media ads to proactively reach out to past customers, your sphere etc.
Promote new listings, events, and generate tons of buzz
Easily re-target interested prospects and stay top-of-mind to incite action
Keep your brand in front of your clients and sphere of influence.
BoomTown's Marketing Central, a self-serve advertising portal, lets you build ad campaigns to highlight active listings, promote open houses, and showcase successfully sold properties in just a few clicks, right from the CRM. With so much attention online and on social media right now, make sure you're taking advantage of this opportunity to connect.
Engage and Re-engage with the Help of Experts
Get a team of dedicated lead concierges (real people) who respond to and nurture your leads
Free up busy agents from the time-suck of responding to new leads
Let your leads enjoy a personal touch on behalf of your team
Make sure no opportunity slips through the cracks
With such a busy summer ahead, make sure your agents are empowered, and your service offering (so critical right now) can scale. When our clients take advantage of our Success Assurance program, they can rest assured all new inquiries are responded to quickly, leads are nurtured until they're ready to talk, and their brand is shining.
Ready to deliver the best consumer experience this year?
To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.
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Simple Ways to Provide a VIP Client Experience (Even Virtually)
When competition is stiff and technology is automating services left and right, what makes you stand apart from the rest?
Providing a VIP, white-glove client experience that will leave a lasting impression. It is important to never forget that you are in the service industry! The experience your clients have will make or break your sphere of influence, and amazing experiences can build the foundation for a lasting, thriving business.
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Why is flood insurance so $#@!&^% confusing?! We break down the facts.
Let's face it, flood insurance is confusing and time-consuming.
Why is this?
Well ... the government is involved; flood insurance is not a part of Homeowners insurance; and there are a lot of qualifying questions before a client qualifies for flood insurance.
But, the biggest cause of confusion is the fact that there are actually two different flood insurance systems offered to US homeowners:
The National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, run by FEMA
The emerging Private Flood Insurance market, offered by over 150 private insurance carriers
NFIP
NFIP was formed in 1968, and has evolved multiple times over the last 53 years.
The government program is designed to protect all Americans at risk of flooding, regardless of location across the country.
The basis of the system are flood zones, which all have a special designation:
Low and Medium Risk: Zone X
High Risk: Zones AE, AH, AO, V, VE
NFIP updates the flood zone maps annually, yet with the rapid increase of climate change, the maps may not accurately reflect a property's real flood risk . This news article points to New Data That Points To Hidden Property Risk.
NFIP offers flood insurance coverage in a standard program:
$250,000 maximum flood insurance for building
$100,000 maximum flood insurance for personal property
$2,500 deductible
Limited options for additional coverage
Elevation Certificate may be required
Standard pricing based on Flood Zone Designation
Historically, NFIP is the most affordable in high risk zones, where the government has subsidized the flood insurance rates to make the program affordable to all Americans.
For properties beyond the $250,000 maximum, homeowners that choose NFIP may need to secure additional flood insurance coverage through 'excess' or 'surplus' flood insurance, which is offered by the Private Market.
While uniform in approach, NFIP presents many 'gray' areas as it relates to properly assessing property risk. For example, while a home may have a Zone X designation, 25-30% of all flood insurance claims are paid in these "less hazardous" areas.
Private Flood Insurance
The emerging Private Flood Insurance Market is based on an individual property.
Every private insurance carrier has a data intensive pricing model that calculates individual flood insurance rates based on the individual property's characteristics, allowing for customization of the quote based on the homeowner's needs.
As a comparison to NFIP, private insurance carriers offer coverages that provide greater financial protections with other enhancements:
Flood insurance for buildings that are in excess of NFIP's maximum coverage of $250,000
50% of building coverage for personal property
A range of deductible options, from $1,000-$10,000
Customized options for additional coverage
Elevation Certificates may only be required in special cases
Individual pricing based on data points specific to the specific parcel and its location
Private flood insurance provides flexibility of coverage options, and the ability to customize to the individual property's needs.
NFIP Changes Starting October 1, 2021
Going forward, NFIP will be making changes to modernize its program to 'mirror' the private market.
Currently targeted to start October 1, 2021, NFIP will begin to use Risk Rating 2.0, a new flood insurance pricing model that will evaluate individual property risk. This government briefing outlines the specific program enhancements.
What Can I Do?
Regardless of the differences between NFIP and Private Flood Insurance, you should consider integrating 'the flood insurance conversation' to your real estate practice. Climate change poses flood-related challenges for an increasing number of homeowners - but by introducing this important topic, you can help them gain peace of mind while purchasing their dream home.
If you are interested in learning more, access our free eBook: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Flood Insurance* (*But Were Afraid To Ask)
CartoFront is a technology services company that is simplifying flood insurance for REALTORS®, their clients, and insurance agents. If you are interested in learning how you can bring CartoFront to your MLS for free, please contact [email protected]
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4 Ways You Can Digitally 'Hand-hold' Clients and Why You Should
Agents long for the day when they can again meet face-to-face with clients regularly and feel comfortable about it. And agents know that until then, they still need to rely on the digital tools that have helped them through one of the most challenging chapters in our history.
By now, we all know that staying connected to your clients may be more important now than ever. And we know that understanding the importance and the value of the digital tools you are using can help you use them better to strengthen your relationships with your sphere of influence.
Here are four ways you can digitally "hand-hold" clients and the benefits of doing so:
1. Arrange video calls
Now that you've become a Zoom or Facetime expert, it's likely you may still have resistance to being on camera. It's important to remember that even on a screen, seeing a client is far more engaging than a telephone conversation, especially when you consider that the vast majority of person-to-person communications is nonverbal.
It's also a lot easier to arrange a quick Zoom or Facetime call with a client than an in-person meeting. And in some ways, a video requires even more focus than an in-person meeting, as video calls create pressure to maintain visual eye contact the entire time. Best of all, you can see the impact you are having when you are working to solve a client's problem. While a video call is not quite the same as being with the client in person, it's closer than you may realize.
2. Use video instead of text messages
Another great tool to connect is with video messaging, which can also provide an enormous value in building trust with a client. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth more than a million words. Research tells us that viewers retain 95 percent of a message when they watch a video versus only 10 percent when they read a text.
A short selfie video update sent to a client is not only a more memorable communication, but it also has a better ability to connect with a client emotionally than a phone call, email, or text. It's the personalization of your short video message that is so powerful.
3. Live video home tours
You may have given live video tours for clients who you worked with remotely long before the pandemic. Now live video tours are more popular than ever. One survey showed that more than 60 percent of home buyers made an offer on a home sight unseen in 2020. That's nearly double the amount reported the prior year.
Taking a client through a house live on your phone using Facetime or Google Duo is far more effective than a standard video or 3D tour they can view online. It allows you to engage with your clients, answer specific questions, and your clients can get your perspective on the home and have a dialogue with you to resolve issues and answer questions in real-time.
4. Use transaction management software
Tools like Form Simplicity can go a long way in providing your clients digital transparency. One important feature to leverage your transaction management system is to share key documents with clients. By doing this, you not only keep the transaction process moving faster, you are giving clients more immediate results and that means peace of mind.
Using a transaction management system is a great way to "hand-hold" every client digitally as they know you can stay on top of their transaction 24/7.
One final reminder: if your state or local association, brokerage, or MLS offers Tech Helpline as a member service benefit, be sure to take advantage of this free help for troubleshooting any of your video challenges. Tech Helpline analysts are ready to help.
Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.
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10 Creative Ideas for Memorable Closing Gifts
Finding just the right closing gift isn't always easy. You want something special and thoughtful that stands out and communicates how much you value your clients' business. It also needs to be memorable -- you don't want them forgetting your name for possible referrals any time soon!
There are a few things to keep in mind when you're searching for just the right closing gift. First, forget cost -- it will only constrain you at the start, and you can make price adjustments later. Next, consider what you know about your clients and what is meaningful to them. Maybe they are newly married and would love a gift with their family name on it. If they are coming from another state, you may consider giving an experience that gets them out of the house and into the neighborhood (see idea #4!). Lastly, don't give them anything that is branded. Keep your headshot, phone number and logo off your closing gift. Clients will see that as marketing, not as a gift from the heart.
If you're struggling to find just the right thing, get inspiration from our 10 creative closing gift ideas.
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Get More Listings with the Right Seller Services
Most real estate agents know that staged homes sell faster and for more money. Some, however, go beyond merely suggesting staging to their listing clients.
Rather than lay the burden of staging on their clients, these agents bring in a staging team, at no expense to the homeowner.
What seller services do you offer? Does that list on your real estate website include the usual?
"Complimentary home value analysis!"
"Open Houses and Broker Tours"
"Your home will be entered into the MLS"
"Your home will be featured on our website"
"Place a distinctive [name of brokerage] for-sale sign on the property"
"Active promotion to my expansive network"
"I will bring the buyers to you" (for more information on how to do this by becoming a Market Maker, watch this video)
These are actual "Seller Services" offered by agents on their websites.
If you are tired of not getting the listing and want to truly offer value, thereby standing apart from the crowd, it's time to change things up. Read on for some tips.
Complimentary Pre-Sale Home Inspection
As you know, when a problem is unearthed by the inspector, the entire transaction is at risk.
Why not be proactive and head off as many challenges as possible before putting the home on the market? Offer your listing clients a free, pre-market home inspection.
Yes, some agents balk at the idea, claiming that the inspection now becomes a disclosure item. And that's true.
The flipside to this is that the items on the pre-sale inspection list will most likely show up on the buyer's inspection report as well.
A pre-market inspection allows the homeowner to make the repairs that the lender or buyer will most likely demand.
If for some reason your client can't or won't make repairs, you'll have the time to determine upfront how to deal with repair requests and to have that heart-to-heart about lowering the asking price.
Professional Photography
I don't need to tell you that there are far too many agents out there who are still snapping listing photos on their smartphones.
Since the first showing of a home typically happens online, it's needs to be ultra-compelling.
We know many successful agents who have left the old ways behind and offer the services of a professional photographer to snap the marketing photos. Yet, that service isn't listed on any of the websites we researched for this blog post.
Virtual Tours
Over the past few months, the popularity of 3D tours has outpaced other types of virtual tours, including video.
In fact, a recent study by the NAR claims that "Consumers Strongly Prefer Listings With 3D Tours." Here are a few other things you should know about virtual tours:
"About 55% of survey respondents say they'd even consider buying a property sight unseen if there was a 3D tour available in the online listing." (NAR)
Agents who use 3D tours in their marketing of listings sell them 20% quicker and for 9% more than agents who don't use them. (Matterport survey)
Almost 80% of real estate consumers say they would switch to a real estate agent who offers 3D tours of homes for sale (Matterport survey)
Consumers are demanding more than a video of a home's interior. They want the ability to virtually tour homes without someone else deciding what they can and cannot view.
If other agents in your market offer this service and you don't, the chances are pretty good that you won't get the listing.
Do yourself a favor and earmark some marketing dollars for at least one, true, seller service in 2021.
To view the original article, visit the ProspectsPLUS! blog.
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The BoomTown Give Back Awards: Nominate Your Peers (or Yourself!)
In the spirit of thanks and giving, BoomTown would like to thank those in the real estate community who have gone above and beyond to serve others in 2020.
These awards celebrate the agents who are stewards within their community, put service over self, and make an impact by paying it forward.
The BoomTown Give Back Awards
How It Works!
Nominate yourself or a peer for one of the three Give Back awards (listed below)
BoomTown donates $5 for every nomination to BoomTownLOVE
Once nominations are closed, a panel of judges from BoomTownLOVE will select the three winners. Nominees and winners will be featured on social media and on BoomTown's social media channels to highlight these amazing accomplishments!
Winners from each category will each receive a $1,000 prize! If you choose, BoomTown will donate the prize on your behalf to an organization of your choosing.
Nominations must be submitted by December 11th at 11:59pm EST.
The Helping Hand Award
This nominee jumped into action to help a family, employee, community member, organization (etc.) in a time of need. Putting service over self and rallying behind someone less fortunate.
The Walk-the-Talk Award
The walk-the-talk nominee has actively made charitable giving a part of their business. Service and community are woven into their core values and they are committed to paying it forward.
The Creative Changemaker Award
This nominee brought an innovative spin to giving back, going beyond a financial contribution. A bright, creative idea that made a real impact.
Nominate a real estate agent today!
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The Importance of Down Payment Assistance Programs in a Pandemic
Economists agree that the real estate business has recovered faster than expected during the pandemic. A continued lack of inventory, low mortgage rates, and pent-up demand are all contributing factors to a robust market.
The good news for homebuyers is that down payment assistance is still available, with many program providers offering online and virtual support/education. With an average benefit of $13,000, these programs can help make the difference in achieving homeownership when competition is fierce.
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How to Build an Income-Producing Referral Business
Imagine having a business where most of your income comes from people you know. That is the dream of many new and seasoned real estate agents. And it is not only possible, it is achievable.
Real estate is an essential business built on relationships, and your database is your goldmine. By following the suggestions below, you can begin learning the skills to effectively communicate, network and grow your business. The incredible results will be a business that is built on referrals. This means increased revenue and a solid business that is continually expanding. Get ready to start mining. Your road map to success begins here.
It all begins with who you know.
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Create Intentional Marketing that Shows Your Love and Support of Your Clients
We have all been touched by a story or event during COVID-19 that has warmed our hearts. We have heard about the agent that left an Easter egg hunt on the lawns of several of her clients. Or the REALTOR that sent a handwritten note and a beautiful candle to each of her clients to let them know she was thinking of them.
Molly McKinley, CEO of Intentionaliteas and VP of Brand Strategy for RateMyAgent, took us through some phenomenal "conscious capitalism" ideas about how to become more human and share the great works you have done for your clients in warm and effective ways through the mail and online. She taught us about an interesting concept dubbed "digital word-of-mouth marketing."
Here are three key takeaways:
1. Let your clients know that you really care about them. No human being wants to be thought as a "lead." Pay it forward. Do kind things for them in unexpected ways and at unexpected times, and you will reap great rewards—and probably like your job as a REALTOR® much better, too.
2. Just because you have a strong, local, referral-based business doesn't mean you can't create a strong digital marketing presence. You can use the words of satisfied clients to tell your story online so you don't have to bow down to the "me, me, me" advertising that so many agents do.
3. There is now a simple and inexpensive way to collect all of your reviews from online portals, referral systems, websites and even emails or handwritten notes and put them all in one place so you can share them online, in listing presentations, and via reports. Check out RateMyAgent.com to learn more.
Watch the recording here:
Don't Miss These Upcoming Coffee Chats!
Friday, May 8
Your MLS System: The Ultimate Prospecting and Lead Generation Machine with Brian Tepfer, Executive VP and CTO, Rapattoni
Monday, May 11
Learn How to Win New Listings During Covid-19 by Delivering a List of Qualified Buyers with Charles Williams, CEO/Founder of Buyside
Tuesday, May 12
Look No Further than Your Local MLS to Generate a Ton of Business FREE! with Amy Gorce, Principal Business Development of CoreLogic
Wednesday, May 13
Learn How to Become a Social Media Expert Without Doing All the Work! with Michael Glazer and Michael Tomasetti of BackatYou Media
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5 Types of Real Estate Clients You Need to Understand
In the "Age of the Customer," any business looking to survive puts their client at the center of their operation. Today, it's the consumer, not businesses, who are driving business decisions, which means that it's vital for real estate agents to understand their clients on a deeper level in order to make the sale.
Don't assume you know what your real estate clients want
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9 Do's and Don'ts of Excellent Customer Service as an Agent
On any given day, a real estate agent has a thousand tasks on the go. Between your listing presentations, open houses, contract drafts and phone calls, it can be easy to lose focus on the kind of service you're offering your clients.
Are you providing the best possible service to your real estate clients? Follow these nine customer service do's and don'ts for real estate agents and you'll be swimming in client referrals in no time!
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5 Ways Using RPR Will Impress Your Clients
At RPR, we believe educated, empowered and successful REALTORS are essential for a thriving and sustainable real estate industry. Our aim is to provide technology solutions that help you, as a REALTOR, make profitable, well-informed decisions for you and your clients.
Here are five ways that using RPR can impress prospects and clients.
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What Do Real Estate Clients Actually Want?
Buying or selling a home is a major emotional event. Clients put their faith on the line with a real estate agent to deliver and exceed their expectations--while remaining a rock throughout this roller coaster ride. While every client and situation is different, there are many similarities that stand out to help you navigate for a positive end-to-end experience.
Here are five things that real estate clients want from you:
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Finding Rental Furniture for Staging
When selling a home, you want to catch people's attention. You want to stand out so every potential buyer remembers your listing. You want them to envision themselves living in your home for years to come. Creating these experiences for potential buyers makes a home sell faster and many times for a higher price.
The most effective way to create these experiences is to use furniture rentals for staging your listing. If the sellers have moved out of the home before it has sold and taken all of their furniture with them, it is highly recommended to invest in furniture rentals.
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How Personal Is Your Brand?
What was the name of your last Uber driver?
What kind of car were they driving?
What rating did you give them?
After jogging your memory a bit, your answers are probably some version of:
"No idea.""Ummm…probably a Prius?""Five stars."
In 2019 and in the world of perpetual rating scales for nearly everything we consume, it's critical to take a step back and understand the meaning (or lack thereof) of such an arbitrary system.
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5 Types of Real Estate Clients You Need to Understand
In the "Age of the Customer," any business looking to survive puts their client at the center of their operation. Today, it's the consumer, not businesses, who are driving business decisions, which means that it's vital for real estate agents to understand their clients on a deeper level in order to make the sale.
Don't assume you know what your real estate clients want
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How MoveEasy Saves You Money When You Move
No one moves more than Americans. Across 16 major European countries, Gallup says the average European moves about four times in their lives. The average American? We move nearly four times as frequently — almost 12 times in our lifetimes. Moving is as American as hot dogs, baseball and apple pie.
But unlike baseball, hot dogs and apple pie, for nearly everyone, moving isn't something we enjoy. For many people, moving causes stress — a lot of stress. One study in the UK, where people move just five times in their lifetimes, surveyed 2,000 adults who moved in the past three years. They found almost two in three people (61 percent) placed moving as No. 1 on their stress list!
That's not surprising when you consider how much money and time moving costs. Think about this: if you move 10, 11 or 12 times in your lifetime, how much total time have you invested in moving? How much did all those moves, if you totaled them up, cost you?
Making the right move
As a real estate agent, if you could hook your clients up with a free, tech-powered concierge moving service that could save every client both money and a lot of time, would you be interested? That is the essence of MoveEasy: moving made simple by combining people plus tech.
We provide a "white label" service that real estate brokerages can offer clients for free. It's both a moving and post-move concierge platform that combines a human concierge service with technology to make it easier to move and saves clients money.
Because it's fully integrated with the brokerage's technology, MoveEasy streamlines the last mile of the transaction — the move. Agents can rest easier knowing their hard work to deliver exceptional customer service to their clients will continue until their clients are all moved in. Our human concierge not only provides excellent hands-on customer service but also helps clients select the right services at the right price.
A new way to save
Saving money when moving makes a big difference to the people making a move, and it's what MoveEasy offers every real estate client. When a home buyer or seller moves, there are a lot of changes, some beyond the client's control. The mover is often switching utility companies, phone and or cell providers, television and internet service providers, insurance companies and more.
For example, digital services — internet as well as cable or satellite — are one of the most "switched" services when someone moves. And it makes sense. The average annual bill for television services jumped from $700 in 2000 to a whopping $1,200 in 2017, according to a study by Kagan, S&P Global Market Intelligence. Exploring all the digital service choices today can mean big savings over time.
Because MoveEasy works with all providers, we can leverage our technology to compare the best local deals available instantly. Then our human concierge guides the mover personally through all of the details — covering what's in that fine print, so people are not caught by surprise.
We use the same tactics with moving companies, as well as other local home services. Using MoveEasy provides not only a review of the competitive offerings by movers but also guides the person moving to ask the right questions. Because MoveEasy uniquely includes a human concierge to assist each real estate client personally, we can help match the services and special discounts that are available in the location where the client is moving.
And because we manage a large volume of transactions, we can offer exceptional deals. In real dollars, the total savings across all services that MoveEasy offers quickly adds up to more than $500 for each agent's client.
Saving more than money
MoveEasy saves real estate clients a lot more than money. The amount of time someone saves using MoveEasy is stunning.
Think for a minute how much time it takes your clients to complete all of their address-change notifications, reach out to their current utility companies to turn off the power and gas, cancel trash pickup, turn off the water, and stop their internet and cable or satellite services. Then they have to spend time researching which companies to contact for their new utilities, trash, water, followed by making calls to schedule appointments to set them all up for their new place. Your clients also have to spend a tremendous amount of time researching the best new packages for their internet and TV in their new home. All of this makes moving one colossal time suck.
But with MoveEasy, a client can make just one call or click to begin a process that allows a human concierge to take over. MoveEasy handles many of the most time-consuming and mundane tasks to save an agent's client an enormous amount of time in the moving process.
The best part for real estate agents is the fact that our human concierge service is designed to make the moving process go as smoothly as possible saving every buyer and seller time and money — so that an agent comes out looking like a hero for recommending MoveEasy to their clients.
Venkatesh "Ven" Ganapathy is Founder & CEO of MoveEasy, moving made simple by people+tech at moveeasy.com. Also read Ven's column "Fixing the Last Mile in the Real Estate Transaction."
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[Best of 2018] Fire Your Client: The 4 Types of Real Estate Clients You Should Cut Ties With
We're continuing an annual tradition of counting down our top 10 articles of the year. The following article was originally published in June and is #9 in our countdown. See #10 here.
One of the most-discussed concerns of agents across the industry is finding and converting leads. This makes the idea of actually firing a client once you have one seem completely inconsistent. But sometimes firing a client is not only the best option, it is absolutely necessary.
The following are four types of clients you need to cut ties with, and tips on how to break the partnership off in the most professional and graceful manner.
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5 Tips for Smooth Client Management and Communication
As a real estate agent, you know that clients want your help buying or selling a home. But just as important, they want to know you're invested in them, too.
When your clients like talking with you and trust your work, they're much more likely to refer you to their friends or call you the next time they're buying or selling. That's why smooth communication is key.
Make sure you're doing these five things to maintain that consistent, positive communication with clients throughout the process:
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Buyers vs. Sellers: What They Need and How to Adjust
In case you aren't already aware, agents are the real deal superheroes of the real estate market. Not only do your clients look to you for advice, guidance, and as someone to save the day when they get lost in the process, but they also expect you to seamlessly guide them into the next phase in their life (no pressure). In return, you look to your clients for clarity when it comes to what they are looking to gain from your relationship and what they are expecting from you specifically as their chosen agent. Clearly, real estate is one giant tango.
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What First-Time Home Buyers Want to Know
As a first-time home buyer, where do you even begin? Saving enough cash to cover a down payment is a big enough hurdle to get over, but that's just the beginning. The entire process can be intimidating and overwhelming. Mortgages, offers and negotiations, inspections, homeowners insurance, property taxes, the list goes on. That's where you, the agent, come in.
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Want to Sell More Homes? Walk a Mile in Your Seller's Shoes
Time and time again, we see agents frustrated with the results they are getting from their marketing efforts. They studied the turnover, looked at the average sale price of homes, and found an area where there isn't a dominant real estate agent doing all the sales.
Yet, they still aren't getting listings. Did they pick a bad area to focus their marketing efforts? No. Of course they didn't. They are just not touching homeowners with information that is relevant to them, and consistent with their current life circumstances.
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What's Your Client Management IQ? 3 Questions to Ask
Realtors Who Get the "M" in CRM Get More Closings
There's no "secret sauce" to customer relationship management (CRM), but there is a process that isn't followed by many real estate professionals, and it's costing them money. Often it's the simple things, those "I should have thought of that" moments, that take a Realtor from mediocre to top producer status.
Ask yourself the three questions below to uncover where hidden weaknesses in your CRM process may lie.
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Using Cloud Storage Apps for Real Estate Client Service
No matter how much you learn about "selling," we know that real estate is a client service business. If you want to succeed with solid referrals, exceptional real estate client service is how to do it.
So how do you provide better real estate client service? While you help sellers to get their homes ready to sell and value them, and you help buyers find and purchase a home, your greatest involvement with clients is during the transaction process. It is also an excellent opportunity to build goodwill with your clients and create a referral resource in the future.
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5 Resources to Reconnect with Your Clients in 2018
The value of a gift isn't measured in how much it costs. It's measured in how much it gives to the recipient. Take some time this holiday season to reconnect with your old clients and leads by sending them something they can use! To help you do that, we've gone ahead and created some free eBooks, checklists, and other downloadable content for you to print, post, or send to your contacts! Just download your favorite resources, add your contact information, then save.
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The Roadmap to Unparalleled Customer Service
When it comes to customer service, companies have an entire department dedicated to ensuring the success of their clients' experience. The wise ones understand that it should never be limited to a single department, but it should permeate throughout your entire company with every single interaction you have with your clients, prospects and anything on the digital sphere.
As a real estate agent, positive client interactions are the backbone to longevity in an industry that gives little elbow space.
People remember great customer service – but they're more prone to sharing negative ones. Don't be a cautionary tale.
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Positioning Your Value Proposition Against Zillow Instant Offers
We've been talking a lot about Zillow Instant Offers. At some point, there will be buzz in your office about them and agents need to know how to clearly articulate their value. In our last post on this topic, we talked about what they potentially mean for agents and how important it is to continue to provide comfort and trust to their clients. But what does that mean in tangible terms? How does one properly position themselves then? Providing value, client satisfaction, and being the trusted advisor to all clients is easier said than done.
To review, Instant Offers works like this: It connects homeowners with investors, helping them receive multiple offers based on their "home details and comparative sales." All the homeowner has to do is answer some questions, submit some photos, and pick an offer from a verified investor. They then schedule a free home inspection and close on the date they choose. Simple, painless, virtually no work done by the homeowner. There is an option to use a Realtor, but the fact that homeowners don't have to is the key.
Here's how you can combat this and position your value proposition against it:
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How to Start Marketing With Clients – Not At Them
Real estate marketing is not a one-sided conversation anymore. In fact, the consumer holds so much power nowadays that in this competitive business environment, they are a lot more educated than ever before. With so much information digitally accessible, they come equipped with an onslaught of data, resources and peer-to-peer knowledge that they bring to the table to support their buying decision.
This provides a wealth of benefits for real estate agents looking to be better positioned in the market and differentiate themselves—because the client comes forward with real-time and actionable marketing insight and feedback that many agents and brands let slip by them.
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Don't Be 'That' Agent! Remember Your Sphere
When it comes to being a Realtor, I am totally understanding of the fact that there are always many balls in the air, many hats you have to wear, all competing with the fact that there are only so many hours in the day. Based on this understanding, I understand why sometimes agents will drop certain things in favor of dealing with a more pressing, immediate issue. What I cannot forgive, though, and completely cannot comprehend letting slip is keeping up with your sphere of influence.
Your sphere of influence is the lifeblood of your real estate practice. They not only are a support unit for you, giving you encouragement as you close listings, keeping you positive and moving forward, they are also an invaluable source of new business via referrals.
For those of you that are behind in following up regularly with your sphere of influence, today I'll share four quick, easy tips to get you on the right track and growing your real estate practice.
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