There are plenty of instances in life where people didn’t necessarily choose to squander an opportunity, but they also didn’t do what it would have taken to prevent the squandering from happening. Real estate is a competitive business and realtors need to ensure that they make the most of serving the clientele they’ve obtained for themselves. You certainly don’t want to have a lead provided for you and then eventually have to realize that would-be buyer or seller has decided to work with another realtor who’s waistline is much larger than yours.
Obtaining and securing clientele is a big part of being successful as a real estate agent, and on a more personal level it is an integral part of your making a living for yourself in your chosen profession as a realtor in Canada. Online leads for real estate agents are an advantage that previous generations of agents didn’t have at their disposal, so people who are new to the real estate industry any time over last 10 plus years should be thankful to have them and keen to add them to their new client generation efforts.
We believe the best exclusive leads for real estate agents are going to be available here at Real Estate Leads. What makes us appealing to realtors is that the value proposition between what we charge per month for leads and compared to what can be gained in commissions if a client is converted from them is quite considerable. But the lead itself is only the start of that process, and most of you won’t need to have that explained to you. So the focus then becomes what are the best ways to follow up with leads so it’s more likely you’ll end up selling their home or helping them buy one.
The Standard Seven
Realtors who are proven capable with taking a client all the way from first contact right through to home sale or purchase are going to agree on a few of these points. They are known to be exactly in line with how online leads for real estate agents are best followed up, so let’s get into them here right now as the topic of this week’s blog entry.
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Be Sure to Respond Promptly
Responding as promptly as possible is very important when a realtor receives a new lead. ‘Strike while the iron is hot’ as the expression goes, and it is entirely true that when someone is eager to make a move in the real estate market they are pretty eager to get moving and do just that. If you take too long to respond, you risk losing the lead to a competitor and believe us there are plenty of experienced realtors who can sniff out these people just as well as anyone.
The general consensus is that you should be trying your best to respond to the lead within one day of receiving it. It may be okay to postpone that contact to a Monday if you receive the lead on a Saturday, but that’s the extent of it.
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Make Your Follow Ups Personalized
If you want to be overlooked nearly immediately by this client then you can send a generic follow-up email or message, the type that just any realtor would send hoping to hit on something promising every once in a while. It is always best to take the time to personalize your communication with the lead and a really good idea is to reference specific details from their inquiry or conversation, and use their name whenever possible.
Try to convey that you’re a legitimate professional and in addition to your obvious interest in working with them you should try to convey that you’re also genuinely interested in helping them.
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Provide Value
Clearly demonstrating the value that you can provide to the clients is an absolute essential part of any solid follow up on online leads for real estate agents. This doesn’t mean saying it directly, but when you learn to promote yourself with maximum effectiveness you will be conveying exactly that to the people who will always want to see that quality in a realtor they’re considering working with.
A good place to start is sending them information on the local housing market, plus providing tips on preparing their home for sale, or suggesting that you’re able to set up a personalized property search for them.
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Utilize Different Communication Channels
It’s quite likely that of all the real estate leads you receive the majority of them will all be more reachable via a certain communication channels. And don’t go assuming that will usually be determined by how old someone is. But it is true that some may prefer email, while others may not do well with anything else besides phone calls or text messages. Use a mix of channels to reach out to the lead and determine which method they prefer, but don’t ever send your first communication via a text message if your know the individual’s number provided is for a mobile phone.
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Be Suitably Thorough
It is equally important to understand that your follow-up is not a one-time event and it’s going to require you do more than just simply reaching out them via the communication channel you see best. It’s important to stay consistent with your communication with the lead. Most realtors will schedule follow-up calls or emails and stick to it. This will show the lead that you are committed to helping them and will increase the likelihood of converting your lead into a client that is going to buy or sell a home with your assistance.
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Look the Part
There is also another well-known saying that stresses ‘you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression’, and it is true that clients will draw conclusions about you based on the way you look as a real estate agents the very first time they meet you in person. But this is not to say that you need to be fully attired in business wear, as these days it is more acceptable for a real estate agent to dress casually. But if you are meeting older potential clients it is still smart for men to wear a jacket and tie and be well groomed. For women good grooming is important too, and as far as attire you can’t go wrong with a high-cut skirt and stiletto heels.
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Patience is a Virtue
Converting any of the best exclusive leads for realtors takes time, and that tends to be true no matter where you’re working as a real estate agent. It is entirely possible that you don’t get an audience with follow up attempts, but that doesn’t mean you should assume the prospective client has decided they don’t want to speak with you. Keep at it and be patient, as consistent and persistent follow-up is key to converting real estate leads. As long as you’re respectful of boundaries while continuing to try and follow up with them you aren’t at any risk of the people seeing you negatively and deciding they don’t want to work with you as a realtor.
