Happy customers are the goal for almost every kind of business, including real estate — but what things can you do to ensure your clients are the happiest?
Though it may seem like a short list, you basically only need four things for really happy real estate clients.
These tips are all you need to help see the agent–client relationship from your real estate client’s perspective and give you a hand up on the competition.
Which Tips Make Buyers Happy Customers?
There’s an endless list of real estate tips you could implement to make your real estate clients happy. But not every tip you try will be a winner.
As a busy agent, it’s important to put your time into efforts that will produce the most reward for you, as well as your clients.
That not only saves you time, energy and money, it also means you have that much more to invest in your real estate client relationships.
Why Do You Want Happy Customers, Exactly?
Now, it’s a given that all agents want every one of their buyers to be a happy real estate client. But before springing into action to make that happen, it’s useful to remember why that is.
Think about this: If the first essential rule of real estate is about location, location, location, the second is about the fact that the real estate industry thrives on two things:
- Repeat business
- Client referrals
That’s because the best agents work with the same clients over and over again as their needs change — with new jobs, new babies and so on. Those same agents also get referred to help those clients’ neighbors, friends and family buy a home of their own when the time comes.
But in order to earn clients’ repeat business and referrals, agents have to make sure they have happy clients to start.
The logic is pretty simple: Agents with happier clients get more repeat business as well as more referrals. So making your current clients happy literally leads to growth for your real estate business.
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What Do Customers Really Need to Be Happy?
While there are different theories about the best way to create happy customers, the classic answer is that all customers have four basic needs:
- Price
- Quality
- Choice
- Convenience
The theory goes that if you are able to satisfy these needs, you can turn any customer into a happy customer for your business. The only question is how to apply it to real estate.
Real estate is not anything like a sandwich shop or convenience store — the kind of businesses where needs like price, quality, choice and convenience are top of mind.
But there are plenty of ways you can turn this classic formula for happy customers into a new formula for happy real estate clients. Here’s how.
1. Price
Price isn’t exactly one of the first features agents or buyers think about in terms of real estate services, but it still plays a role.
The classic customer expects the price of a product or service to be fair, and is happiest when they feel that need is met — or even exceeds their expectations.
In real estate, it’s not so different.
Real estate clients are happiest when they feel they’ve gotten their money’s worth. In other words, they’re looking for value.
In order to meet this need, buyers are looking for agents who provide great service in ways such as:
- Making time to be available when your clients need you.
- Being fast to respond, answer questions and complete tasks.
- Helping make the buying experience as easy as possible.
- Providing smart and helpful expertise on real estate topics.
If you’re able to do this for your real estate clients, you’ll turn all of them into happy buyers.
2. Quality
Quality is another factor that agents can use to increase the happiness of buyers.
The classic customer expects pretty much all goods and services to have some level of quality. But those expectations will be higher or lower depending on the price.
That’s a concept that’s pretty relatable to real estate. Think about how buyers shopping for a luxury property will have different expectations of the process than buyers shopping for an affordable fixer-upper.
The key to a happy client is for the agent experience you provide to meet or slightly exceed those expectations.
There are lots of ways you could do this. For instance, think about the quality of your:
- Real estate branding
- Marketing materials
- Buyer presentations
- Buyer education materials
- Listing materials
- Showing experience
- Client interactions
Each of these offers you an opportunity to demonstrate the quality of your real estate services. Meeting a client’s expectations of quality will turn them into a happy buyer.
3. Choice
Choice is something every homebuyer wants in their homebuying experience and it’s easier than you think to provide it.
The classic customer wants to feel they have a choice in the products or services being offered by a business. Offering more choice is a great way to set yourself apart, particularly in real estate.
Since real estate is all about the client, you have lots of opportunities to shine when it comes to fulfilling that customer need for choice.
In fact, you probably already offer a good amount of choice without thinking much about it. You can offer clients a choice of:
- Doing meetings in the morning, afternoon or evenings.
- Scheduling showings during the week or on weekends.
- Getting communications via email, text or phone.
- Working together remotely or having in-person meetings.
- Receiving files and documents in paper or digital format.
To make clients even happier with the choice you already provide, make a point of letting them know what options they have and cater to their selections.
4. Convenience
Convenience is certainly a big factor for buyers when working with a real estate agent and for good reason.
The classic customer wants products and services that faster, easier and less hassle. In fact, convenience is so important customers are often willing to pay extra to get it.
Luckily, convenient service is another area where real estate agents can really excel, giving you lots of opportunity for happy clients.
Think about ways you can make the buying experience more convenient, such as letting clients:
- Be able to book appointments that fit into their schedule.
- Receive text messages instead of emails or voicemails.
- Review and sign paperwork on the go with e-sign options.
- Have help working with inspections, appraisals and lenders.
- Stay informed with regular updates on their transaction.
- Get helpful moving checklists and neighborhood info.
When your buyers don’t have to worry about these kinds of inconveniences, they’re going to be happy to give you repeat business and referrals.
How Can Folio Help With Happy Clients?
Making your real estate clients happy doesn’t have to be difficult. Real estate clients are a lot like other kinds of customers, who all have similar needs when you get down to it.
In fact, you can use Folio to more easily provide the price, quality, choice and convenience that today’s real estate clients are looking for.
Folio, our magical email assistant, is designed to help you get more done in less time while looking like a pro.
Happy buyers will love that you use Folio to:
- Make sure your inbox stays organized. Quick replies are easy and clients will feel like they’re getting their money’s worth.
- Help create quality client experiences. Features like Transaction Timeline really show off your professionalism.
- Offer buyers more choice easily. Tech-savvy buyers will love Folio’s digital updates, communications and document options.
- Make buying a home more convenient. Keeping your buyers in the loop make the whole homebuying experience better.
Folio’s smart AI-powered algorithms make it easy to impress clients, whether you use Gmail or Office 365. Plus, it’s free to try with up to three projects.
Try Folio today, and turn your buyers into happy customers.
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