The truly low hanging fruit
Ongoing relationship-building with your sphere of influence (SOI) is vital in real estate sales. It’s how you build that coveted referral and repeat business. It’s how you get clients coming to you and seeking out your services.
Now, there are many ways to build relationships. At the very least, you have to keep in touch.
But many REALTORS® simply don’t do a great job at this.
If your clients are happy with the services you’ve provided to them and you fail to keep in touch, you’re missing out on thousands of dollars worth of potential repeat business and referrals (the truly low-hanging fruit).
Don’t assume a happy client will remember you, refer you, and use you again years later. You need to keep in touch and continue to build the relationship.
How often should you check up on clients?
It’s advisable to personally visit your best clients once a year. And one great way to add value to client relationships is through a Homeowner’s Check-Up.
A Homeowner’s Check-Up is when you meet with a client to provide services and information to them about their home. This may involve a local housing market update, a simple inspection of the house, a review of their current mortgage, discussion of their home goals, and more.
When you contact your clients to arrange for a Homeowner’s Check-Up, position it as a service that you provide to all your clients. Mention that it’s one way you go above and beyond for your clients and something that you enjoy doing. No strings attached!
There will be some clients who will be hesitant about agreeing to a Homeowner’s Check-Up because they’ll feel it may be a ploy to “try to sell you something.” Why? Because few agents actually offer this kind of value-added service.
Simple tips for pitching your service
If you encounter any resistance, here’s a script you can use:
“Jim, I want to do all I can to make sure that my clients fully enjoy their new home. And I feel it’s my job to do so. The Homeowner’s Check-Up is one way I’m able to do that.”
“You take your car into the garage for scheduled maintenance, right? Think of my Homeowner’s Check-Up in the same way, with one difference – it’s free!”
“It’ll just take an half an hour. Will Wednesday at seven work?”
Most clients will really like the fact that you’ve taken the initiative to meet with them and provide this value-added service. It’ll be clear that you really want to help your clients maximize the enjoyment of their homes and they will appreciate that.
A Homeowner’s Check-Up is a fantastic relationship-building tool and one way to keep in touch with past clients. Give it a try!
