Posts Tagged ‘broker’

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Sweet! You got a lead from your website…or anywhere, really.

You call them up and establish a quick relationship. You provide them with a list of property or set them up on an email drip campaign……………………And then, it seems like they just fall off the planet.

“Why?!?! Why dont the clients call me back??”

Well…. 1. It’s not their job to call you back. That is YOUR job. If you want to continue to attempt to do business with this client, then follow-up is a must!

And 2. Not to put too fine of a point on the subject, but the reason they aren’t calling you back is probably because your follow-up phone call sucked. (Hey, someone has to be honest with you…)

Give them a reason to call you back!

Every once in a while, we here at Real Estate Client Referrals gets an email from a member agent that just makes us smile.  And, lucky for us, it happened twice at the end of this last week.

RECR does not solicit testimonials. We feel that the best way for us to get a testimonial from anyone that uses our services is to provide a superior product and superior service and support. If we do our jobs right, we will get people commenting on it and receive testimonials.  And, so far, this theory remains true.

Suchita Kahlon in British Columbia writes:

“I have been with Real Estate Client Referrals since March 2009. I have already closed a number of deals from the leads that I have received!! RECR is an amazing and reliable referral system and, even when the market was slow, was consistent in sending me solid leads. It’s worth every single penny that I have invested!!  RECR is the best investment that Realtors could do for themselves. ”

Beverly Hicks in Colorado wrote us and says:

“I have been with Real Estate Client Referrals for the better part of 4 years now…and I think they are fantastic!!  I had two closings last month (August, 2009) from RECR and I have two more this month (Septemeber, 2009)!!  One of my leads generated 4 closings, 1 listing, and two more potential buyers!!  In this market, where it is so hard to get deals to the table, it is great to have a company like Real Estate Client Referrals as a lead generating tool.  They screen the clients so you don’t get bogus people and the referrals are receptive to you.  I have never had any person get upset with me for calling.  For the record, I am a REAL real estate agent …you can look me up.  This company is so great!! I really believe in the referral system and in RECR!  I won’t use any other referral company!!  Their program is fantastic!! It is the best marketing investment that you can make!!”

If you would like more information about Real Estate Client Referrals and how we can help you have the same success, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058. Or, if you prefer, email to clintmiller@recr.com. Or, follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/recr or www.twitter.com/TheRealClint.

I decided I needed to get a new pair of shoes.  The ones that I have are a couple years old and, quite frankly, a bit worn out.  So, I decided to head to the local ShoeEmporiumMart and get myself some shoes.  I knew exactly what I wanted…and in what section of the store to find it.  As I entered the store, I saw a couple customers browsing and 3 sales attendants by the cash register. 

As I stroll past them, one of them says, “Hi. I will be right with you.”  Assuming she was discussing something important and required time to finish her discussion, I went on my own. 

Fine with me…I know what I want anyway.  I head over to the shoes I want and the specific shoe I am after is not on the shelf.  So, I hunt around for a couple minutes only to figure out that there is absolutely no rhyme or reason as to how these shoes are shelved…and decide I would “hunt down” that kind lady that said she would help me. 

After a minute or two of looking, I find her at the counter again chatting with the other two sales reps about her obviously too intense weekend of drunken debauchery.  I ask her if she knew where I could find my New Balance 820s in a 4E…and without even skipping a beat, she says to me and I quote….”I said I would be with you in a minute”. 

I don’t think I have to tell you what happened next.  Suffice it to say that I got my shoes from FootLocker instead. 

You see…like this example, some aspects of your sales ability are painfully obvious to your customers.  But, some of them are much more subtle than this example…Subtle enough that you probably don’t even know that you are doing them.  But, your clients know.  Believe me! 

So, here are some ‘subtle’ and some not-so-subtle ways that you literally destroy your relationship with your clients.

Be inaccessible.  One the primary complaints I receive from the clients I refer to agents is that the agent is hard to reach.  Heck, one of the major complaints I hear from other agents is that some agents are hard to reach.  Don’t answer your phone.  And, when someone takes the time to leave a message, don’t worry about calling back.  After all, if they want to reach you so bad, they will just call back, right? 

Talk more/listen less.  Youre the important one here.  Youre the expert.  What they have to say is not important at all because you have all the answers.

Be dishonest.  Nothing will turn off a client more than being dishonest.  The phrase ‘a web of lies’ implies that it takes a lie to cover up a lie.  And another one to cover up that one and so on. 

Ignore simple manners.  Whether you like it or not, your manners matter to your clients.  Go ahead…keep your clients on hold.  Talk on your cell phone about nothing that relates to your clients that are standing right in front of you.  Use profanity and disrespectful language around your clients.  Say something negative about another client in the presence of one of your clients.  Go ahead…it’s the truth, right?

Take “No” for an answer.  That’s right…just give up.  Automatically assume that the client will never work out because you heard the word ‘No’ the first time you contacted them.  After all, only the “serious” customers that are ready to go right now are worth your time.

Don’t get to know your customers.  Ignore the important things in their lives.  Don’t worry about birthdays or anniversaries.  Forget that they have 4 dogs they treat like children.  Ignore the fact that the ugly vase on the mantle is actually Great Grandpa George.  Don’t get to know them on a personal level…its not required anyway.  After all, they are just walking dollar signs, right?

I would bet that 98% of the people that read this will already know why you shouldn’t do these things and come up with the next logical step in this conversation: Well, what should I do instead?

Simple. 

BE ACCESSABLE!  Answer your phone whenever possible.  Reply to all messages and email within a maximum of 6 hours.  Make sure that your clients understand that you are there for them and that you appreciate the fact that they trusted you enough to want to contact you.

LISTEN!  You were given two ears and only one mouth.  That means you should listen twice as much as you talk.  Take the time to listen to your clients.  What they have to say is important to them.  Therefore, it MUST be important to you.  Ignore your rehearsed responses to standard objections and tailor them to fit the specific needs of your client’s concerns.  Make them feel important…because they are!

BE HONEST!  Be honest to a fault, if need be.  In this market, clients need an advocate that is out for THEM not THEMSELVES.  Say what you mean.  Don’t beat around the bush about facts that need to be said.  Even if what is needed is a smackdown…it would be better for you to do it and be honest about it than to be deceitful and then get caught in the lie later on.  You have one shot to build trust…don’t blow it.

USE YOUR MANNERS!  For sales people that want to reach the top rung of the ladder, there is no substitute for patience, civility, and good old fashioned manners.  Say ‘please’.  Say ‘thank you’.  Make eye contact with people when they are speaking to you.  Open doors for people.  It sounds silly, but these things are not just marketing gimmicks designed to make a client happy.  They are the tried and true marks of good character.

FOLLOW UP!  Whether you want to believe it or not, sometimes “no” means “not right now”.  I see this every day with my company.  Agents simply give up after the initial contact with a potential customer because they were told “no”.  It has been proven time and again that it takes seven points of contact for a consumer to remember who you are and why you are trying to contact them.  So, it is up to you to ensure that happens.  Call your prospects.  Email your prospects.  Work your leads.  Don’t just give up initially because you didn’t get the answer you wanted on the initial request.  Sales isn’t a McDonald’s drive-thru.  You might have to ask more than once…or twice…or eight times.  I work with an agent currently that just landed an exclusive agency agreement on 35 properties because she followed up on a referral from my company that screamed at her on her initial phone call.  (If you want to hear the whole story, contact me…be happy to share.)

KNOW YOUR PEOPLE!  Notice I didn’t use the word ‘client’.  I have said time and time again that this is a people business.  You deal with people.  And, they should be treated as such.  Get to know them on a personal level.  Use that to your advantage.  Remember their kids’ names; their dog’s name.  Ask about the things in their life that are important to them and make them important to you as well.  By the same token, allow them to get to know you.  Developing a rapport and trust is mutual.  It has always been true, you must be able to give before you are proven worthy to receive.  That rule holds true here also.

It is a hard and fast rule of business that it costs six times more money or time to cultivate a new client as it does to retain a current one.  And, in this market, I would bet it costs even more.  Extraordinary customer service skills will only lead to successful retention of your clientele.  And that will ensure that your sales career will never die.

If you would like more information on Real Estate Client Referrals www.recr.com, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058 or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/recr.

I have never made any secret of the fact that I work for an internet lead generation company.  And, having been at this company for nearly 5 years, I do believe that, when worked properly, internet leads can and will make you money.  But, as with anything in life, there is no “magic pill” that will allow you to automatically be successful.  This remains true for anything in life, but is especially true when discussing real estate…more specifically, internet-generated leads.

Really, what it boils down to is this: If you suck at follow up…internet leads are not for you.  (By the way, did you know that an internet-generated lead degenerates by 50% every single day that it sits without an initial contact?  How fast do you follow up with your internet leads?  Three days?  That lead is now worth 12.5% of what it was when it first came in!  One day?  50%.  Bottom line, if your answer includes the word ‘day’, it is not fast enough!  In fact, if you can not respond within the first 12 hours, you probably failed.) 

I’ve written previously about agents that are admittedly too lazy to work the clients they already have…and about how working your leads can lead to great things. 

But nothing has driven this point home more for me than the story of Barbara Ripple.  Barbara works for Real Estate Brokers in and around Winston-Salem, NC, and is quite possibly the most tenacious agent I have ever met.  Her tenacity and her exemplary follow-up skills have set her up for an agreement that is every agent’s dream. 

Here is her story in her own words:

When I first received a call from Real Estate Client Referrals, my thoughts were, “Why not take a gamble?”  So, I did.

Several referrals were sent my way and, when I would call them, my thoughts were, “This is a joke”.  One client couldn’t afford to buy clothing, much less a house.  One had a recent foreclosure.  But, as they came across my desk, I would keep calling and asking questions to make sure that they were indeed a valid buyer that could get qualified for a home loan.  Those that were obviously bogus I would return for replacement – something that Real Estate Client Referrals was more than willing to do.

I called on one referral for a young lady wanting to buy a home.  When I called, her father answered the phone and chewed me out. “My daughter is NOT buying a house! She is going to college to be an attorney!  Don’t you EVER call back!”

Once the screaming subsided, “Yes sir!” I replied and I politely asked him to have her call me back when she had time to explain as to why she would say she was looking to buy a home on a website when it wasn’t the truth.  I figured it was worth a shot just in case.  He agreed to pass along my number.

About a week went by before Alisha called me back to apologize for her father’s attitude and explained the ‘misunderstanding’.  It turns out her boss was the one looking for the home.  She just put in her information as a contact.  I asked if she would mind if I contact him directly.  She had no problem with this and gave me his phone number and I proceeded to start contact with him.

It took me roughly a week or more to get hold of Alisha’s boss.  But, once I was able to establish contact, Alisha’s boss explained that he was indeed looking for a list of property for a “relative” of his and wasn’t sure he would need an agent…just a list of available property.  He runs a local general contracting and construction company and wasn’t certain if he would be doing this sooner versus later…the usual ‘blow off’.  I agreed I would provide him with one with the agreement that, should he require the services of an agent, he contact me first. 

The next day, I was reading the local newspaper and there was an article about Alisha’s boss being involved in a rehabilitation project with the city and he had a $3million grant to rehab homes that would be sold to HUD qualified buyers directly by the city. 

I immediately contacted him again and said I saw the article, congratulated him on his success, and again offered my services to help him find a house.  During this call, I thought it was important for me to let him know that I had a suspicion that he wasn’t looking to buy for a relative, but was interested in property for his rehab project.  He complimented me for my tenacity and we set up an appointment with him at his office an hour away from mine.  I said I’d be interested in working with him to find these homes for his rehab project and he agreed we would be talking about that at the appointment.

The next day, I met with him at his office to discuss this opportunity.  At that meeting was the Mayor of the city he was doing this project in – And I walked out of this meeting with an exclusive buyer agency agreement with him and the city for 25 developed properties and 10 vacant lots!!!  I will be getting a commission on the purchase of these properties from the city!!!  And, when the properties are rehabbed, I will be the exclusive agent for listing and selling these properties!! 

I want to thank you all for listening when I would call complaining about one thing or another.  I appreciate your professionalism in dealing with me.  And, now I want to thank you for another reason!!  This situation has literally changed my life!  I never would have discovered this amazing opportunity were it not for that “bogus” referral from Real Estate Client Referrals!!  Thank you so much!!

To Barbara, I would like to say, “Congratulations!”  Thanks to your ability to delve a little deeper into this matter, you are being rewarded!  (Referrals are not often what is written down on the piece of paper handed to you or the email delivered to your inbox.  Sometimes, the real meat of the issue has to be discovered with just a little perseverance and some good old fashioned hard work.)  It is your willingness to go the extra mile with this initial contact that has set yourself up for such a successful endeavor.   Nice work!  You earned it!

To those that are reading this post, I would like to say: How many of you would have given up after that first phone call?  How easy would it have been to hang up the phone angry over the situation, blaming the lead source for delivering such a bogus lead – perhaps even blogging about “how bad lead generation companies really are” – and admit defeat because you received a ‘NO’ from a potential lead??  How simple it would be to just delete that email, throw away the contact info, and completely walk away from the situation without further investigation?

And, if you had done just that…how big of a mistake would that have been??? 

Every referral – every lead – deserves to be worked.  Work your leads!  Great things happen when you do! 

Real Estate Client Referrals is a full scale referral procurement company with one goal in mind — To help you make money! 

The proof is in the pudding, as they say.  So, below is just a sampling of the testimonials that we have received from our agents. 

I signed up with Real Estate Client Referrals in January of 2008…and to date, I have been amazed by the quality of the leads I’ve received!!  I had one closing and one ratified contract in my first 3 months with RECR!

I made over $13,000 on my first contract!!!  I have had 3 others since that time…and am waiting to close on several more!!!  In total since January, your clients have earned me around $37,000 in commissions!!  Not bad for a $2,000 investment!!!

Most recently, in October, I had a client call me out of the blue that asked me list her house…I had forgotten that you sent her to me MONTHS PRIOR!!  So, now I have that in work also!  And, just in the last two weeks (November 1^st to November 14^th) I have received 3 referrals.  I’m actively working with 2 of them as buyers and listed a home for the 3^rd!!  Im loving it!!!!  You guys rock!!!

Ken Isaacman, ABR
Keller Williams
Chantilly, VA

In this trying real estate market.  Having the Real Estate Client Referrals network has been a life saver.  You do need to pony up some money to buy in but after trying this system for one month, I immediately increased my referrals to the $5000 package.  In the first month I received 13 referrals, though they weren’t all ready, willing and able buyers, the ones that are will be great sales:  I even got an attorney who has already referred me to a buddy of his who is also looking to buy.  I love that RECR is generating the leads, all I have to do is call up the buyer, qualify them and off we go!!!!  

The Chin Team
Jenny Chin, Allison F. Harris & Alison Day 
Howard Hanna Smythe Cramer

“Empress Group, Inc. has been using the Real Estate Client Referrals system for over 5 months.  The leads generated by the system have increased our business three-fold (Yes, that’s a 300% increase!!!) and provided a steady stream of transactions!!  We are very pleased with the responsiveness of the Customer Service professionals who provides a high level of service.  As broker/owner, I don’t hesitate to recommend this system to brokers and agents alike!!”

Silas Mariano, RMS, Broker/Owner
Empress Group, Inc.

If you would like information about Real Estate Client Referrals and how we can help you, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058 or follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/recr!