Aiming for a record year in 2022? While the market is hot and competition is strong, a few simple communication tips can help you remain top-of-mind for clients and help you generate more listings.
It all boils down to building relationships with, well, everyone: past clients, people you meet at open houses, homeowners in your area, and just about anyone you come across as part of your work. Everyone is a prospective client or can refer prospective clients.
It seems like a simple tip, and it is - but it’s also such an important one. As a realtor, you meet people everywhere and it is easy to get lost in all the contacts; some give you their business cards, others send you a text message and some are added to email lists, not to mention those whose name and contact info you have scribbled quickly on a piece of paper.
Creating a database and updating it regularly is paramount. Fill it and compartmentalize it to make it easy to navigate: friends and family members who own homes, past buyers, past listing clients, local contractors, business owners in your area, city council members and anyone else you can think of. Of course it should include all basic information, such as home address, phone and email. But take it up a notch by including other important information: birthday, name of spouse and children, Instagram and other social media handles, special hobbies, upcoming special events in their lives (marriage, child leaving for college, etc.). All this information gives you a reason to contact them and become a part of their social circle.
According to the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals, the average Canadian will own 4.5 to 5.5 homes in their lifetime, over an average of 40 years. This means that they buy a new home every 7.2 to 8.8 years. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you will get ALL the listings from potential sellers/buyers in your database; however, you should be able to convert a good percentage of homeowners in your database into listings when they decide to sell.
Now that you have a pretty decent database to work with, it’s time to open the lines of communication. Nobody wants to be bombarded by emails or text messages. Plus you have to be mindful of spam laws. That being said, sending pertinent communication that is relevant and useful to your database contacts is a great way to develop and maintain relationships. Whether you choose to send out a newsletter, individual messages or group messages, it really comes down to planning and sticking to your plan.
Potential buyers and sellers are always interested in understanding the market. You could build a quick email template and use it to send out a monthly newsletter to your contacts, or make regular social media posts that include information such as:
Whether buyers are new or not to the area, there’s always something to learn about the community where you are thinking of buying a home. Your communications could include information that could solidify your position as a local expert. This could include:
Remember earlier when we talked about adding personal information in your database, such as your contacts’ birthday, family members, upcoming special events? This is where it comes in handy. Use this information to send out a quick text message or email to wish someone a happy birthday, wish them good luck on a hockey tournament, congratulate them on their new baby, send them Holiday wishes personalized with their name and the name of their family members, etc. And you can keep track of special dates and set them up in your calendar, such as the Touchbase calendar.
Sellers and buyers alike want to deal with a realtor they know and trust. You are that person. By building and maintaining relationships with your targeted contacts, you will remain top-of-mind and generate more listings.