We market ourselves throughout the internet, in daily newspapers and brochures....even maps to hand out to potential Hawaii Home Buyers and Sellers. We spend money and lots of time to tell the consumer what kinds of services we offer and what we will do for them. They call.
We then have a face to face meeting with these contacts we've made.
Over the years I've asked each potential home seller or buyer what they expect from me. What do you think their top priorities are?
- Ask Questions: This will allow them to speak and let us know what they need. If we're too busy talking we don't hear what their concerns, priorities and plans are. Asking questions will give us the
answers. In turn, allow them to ask questions about me, my services and what I will do for them. - Listen to their needs: There is nothing worse for the consumer than hearing an agent just talk about themselves and how many sales they've had. They NEED me to listen to what their needs are (i.e. time lines, priorities and finances) give them sound advice with a plan.
- Communication: They need someone who is available to answer any questions or concerns they may have. If I am tied up and unable to answer their call, text or email right away, I make sure and at least give them a timely response just as soon as I am available. Timely responses eliminate the problem of ‘losing that moment'.
- Knowledge: Of course the consumer expects me to have knowledge of real estate laws and contracts. There is also a continuing education and updating our database of information to give them up to date information on everything real estate related (markets, local areas, loan programs available and more!)
These examples are just a few of what our clients want and expect from us and it should be a given anyway. Ultimately these top priorities have been incorporated into my everyday life in real estate and ......
It's when that consumer turns into a client....
Is when I know I've moved toward gaining their trust....
And they believe I will fulfill their needs.
Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate® and Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocations, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents, Home Buyers and Sellers.
© 2007-2012 Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman's Hawaii Real Estate and Relocation Blog.
All rights reserved.
Sally, very good post about what the consumer expects from us!
Sally, I don't think I have ever used that very question to anyone. What a wonderful concept! Jeeze, you get as old as I am and it's difficult to learn something new every day but I just did. I gave you a suggest...this is really a "thinker" and I like it mucho! Thanks grammie....lol
Sally
Well I think you nailed it with this post. This should be required reading for all agents, and they need to pay close attention. It really isn't all that complicated, yet so often I suspect it just doesn't happen - and that's likely true in other situations outside our industry, too.
Jeff
Sally, yes, these are the bare minimums to work with your clients - buyers or sellers.
What most agents don't do is -- ask questions...and then...shut up (to listen to what THEY have to say!)
Great post!
Questions are keys that open doors, they will lead you to handing your client keys to their new home and a paycheck for you to boot.
Sally these are very good points. I try to give much of the same advice during the First Time Homebuyer Seminars that I do.
I vow to try to talk less and listen more- on listing appointments and with my teenagers and my husband too. What a great post. Well written and thoughtful. Thank you very much for sharing with us what you do with your clients.
They need to know they can trust us to look out for them. You bring out great points in that trust building process.
Asking the questions is one thing....listening to the answers is everything. Did you ever have a one way conversation with someone who asked you a question and as you go to answer or are in mid-sentence, they start talking right over you - that is definitely the type of behavior you want to avoid. Great list of questions and expectations.
Gina: I think there are always people who try to talk above others and be the center of attention. Bottom line...creating healthy boundaries and being assertive will ensure a smooth give and take conversation.
Tammy...that's exactly it...the trust building process!
Ellie: It surely starts in the home doesn't it? If we don't have the tools for communication .....there would be nothing right?
George: I wish I could sit in on one...do you do webinars? I just know that they learn BUNCHES in your classes for sure!
Michael...it sure does....listening when they respond will take us further!
Praful...tee hee....shut up is right. How does one hear if they are constantly talking?
Jeff: If one doesn't know the art of effective communication in every day life...then how is one to know it in business?
Deb: I think we all learn something every day with the abundance of reading material here lol. YUP...gonna be a grammie!
Andrea; THank much! ,....at the very least indeed!
Good Evening Celeste
Thanks for the post and information. Have a great day
Dear Celeste...
I am re-blogging your post since it makes absolute sense... these are the basics we all need to employ when trying to establish a good rapport and working relationship with our clients...
An excellent post and a very important message. We are there to help the consumer and we must stop talking and assuming and listen to what is important to the consumer and not to us.
Great points, Sally! It can make such a difference if you just sit back and LISTEN -- it's amazing what you can learn
Hi Sally, thanks for so great points. Listening is so absolutely key to tapping into what will help us derive true customer satisfaction. Best of success to you!
Really great examples. When you do these things you build lasting trust.
Sally:
So often we are concerned with the home, but we should be asking our prospects what they want from us, what they have liked about their home, the neighborhood and the community. These will give us clues about our sellers expectations and will help us define what a prospective buyer would needs to know about the house.
Sally,
It's interesting to see how these same bullet points apply to the lender/borrower relationship. Thanks for being an AR blogger!
Mike in Tucson
Sally, thanks for sharing...interesting points that you have listed....
Hi Sally, I do more listening than speaking unless I have a question or they ask me questions. We have to be excellent listeners!
Sally - any agent that makes it in this business has learned one thing well: LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR CLIENT HAS TO SAY! Great post!
Sally - it's because you give your clients this kind of thought and consideration that you are so successful - it's called integrity and awareness. Thank you for pointing out the importance of all the things on your list especially communication! Congrats on a well deserved feature!
I have even learned an aspect of communication fine tuning that has helped all concerned in my world. When I send an email or leave a message, I always follow it up to see if it was received. You would be surprised at how many times people have told me that they never received the message or the email....It is like the check is in the mail...If I never got it, you still owe it.....Thank you for your post..Sally
Sally- you hit upon some very good points. Not just with Realtors, but clients/consumers want to work with someone they can trust, who knows what they're doing, and who will listen to what they want. None of us should ever provide less.
Sally, keeping these four things in mind will go far in building client agent relationships.
Sally, great post! As Realtors we consider listening to the client to be along the lines of "enough about me, what do you think about me". If we don't hear the concerns, we can't separate ourselves from the pack. Be diferent, in a positive way, and you'll suceed! Thanks
great post and great information
this is excellent to know now
thanks for the share
V
Hi Sally, I like your particular take on this age old problem in the questions you ask. Nice job!
I think the real estate sellers, buyers get so much bombardment of messages that less agent, broker is the key. They want the goods, the stuff on the area, the properties and to save time, money.
Chris...what a thoughtful message you wrote indeed!
If we don't hear the concerns, we can't separate ourselves from the pack. Be diferent, in a positive way, and you'll suceed!
Woo Hoo ! Congratulations on your great featured post. It is these elementary things assumed to be standard operating procedure that actually are exceptional as more agents today tell of themselves and what they will do and leave many concerns of the consumer unanswered because they failed to ask if they had any. I am guessing that many feel that unless the consumers says something all is OK. That would be a huge mistake. Questions and concerns must be welcomed and communication be documented. To me this should be a significant part of the instruction from brokerages to their sales team. Communicate, seek out and answer concerns and document it.
Really good things for us to consider when dealing with consumers.
William: That may just well be true...some may believe that if nothing is said everything is okay. I ALWAYS ask for input.
Sally, these four tips should be kept in our back pockets (so to speak) and remembered when we talk to our buyers.sellers.