JULIAN SAYS…

Loyalty is never to be taken for granted but something that agents have to work hard to build and harder to maintain.

Many readers will recognise the reaction to driving past a property that your firm sold to the present owners just a few years before, only to see another agent’s for sale board. The frustration, confusion and even anger at the scenario may result in the odd expletive, particularly when back at the office you still have the “Thank you, you’re the best estate agent in the world!” message from those very same people following your previous performance. They loved you then, this time they never even invited you to value the property.

BUILDING LOVE

This scenario is even more galling when it occurs when stock is like gold dust. So how can we ensure that we build a long-term relationship with customers who come back to us without fail?

A good starting point is to consider your own lives and ask yourself, “Why do you use certain people or businesses over and over again?” I have a default setting for service providers – my mechanic, electrician, decorator and doctor have all been my people of choice for over 20 years.

The longevity of these relationships is based on trust, won by these professionals through demonstration of expertise, competence in dealing with the issues I have, authority in all that they do, listening and understanding, and ultimately presenting effective solutions.

I also have a local estate agent, Barry, who has my trust and whom I recommend to anyone. I have only known him a few years and we have never actually bought or sold through him, but he deserves my accolades for being the one agent who treated us as we expected to be treated when we first started looking in the area.

Don’t forget, the way you treat potential purchasers at present will influence the number of loyal fans you have in the future.

He was the only agent who took time to find out about our situation, motivation and detailed requirements. He did things the way my training company trains people and it felt fantastic to be on the receiving end of that approach. He engaged us in conversation rather than filling in boxes on a screen. He found out about who would be living in the property, where we worked, our wish list and essentials. This conversation only took a few minutes but gave us confidence that we were in safe hands. It also helped him stand out from the crowd – the other agents had taken cursory information – bedroom number and price range, not much else, before the classic throwaway line, “I’ll email you what we have and if there is anything you like the look of, give us a call.”

Barry talked through a few suitable options and showed us round a property that day which ticked most boxes. He talked with superb knowledge about the area and the property including the vendors’ onward plans. From that point on, when he phoned to tell us of a new instruction that he felt we should view, we simply agreed and asked when we could go.

When the other agents called us to suggest a property to view, we asked them to send us the details. What I was actually saying to them was, “You don’t know enough about us to tell us what to view so let me have the information and I’ll make that judgement for myself” – but obviously I am far too British to be that confrontational!

In the end, we bought privately (from my parents!) so Barry, sadly, received no reward for his efforts in the short term. However, he will earn plenty as he has created raving fans who regularly sing his praises.

There is even more to the story though – namely that Barry is smart enough to know that our relationship needs maintaining and that he can’t rest on his laurels. He keeps in touch with me via Social Media and as a result, he knew I was involved in a fundraising breakfast in my local village. Such is the genius of the man that he decided to run his estate agency office team meeting at the breakfast event, meaning renewed face-to-face contact with me and a whole load of local folk I introduced him to.

Keeping in touch by newsletter, anniversary and/or birthday cards and the occasional telephone call will keep you fresh in their minds.

“Today’s applicants are tomorrow’s vendors” may not be a new mantra, but some agents seem to forget that the way you treat your potential purchasers at present will influence the amount of loyal fans you have in the future.

Julian O’Dell is founder of TM Training & Development