Competition always exists. And anyone working in the real estate brokerage business knows that this reality can be fierce. The good news is that, for good professionals, this doesn’t pose much of a threat. On the contrary: it can be a fuel to gain more customers and improve sales and your relationship with them.
But to achieve this status of relative calm in front of so many competitors, it is necessary to study and specialize, seeking continuous improvement in your field of expertise. And that’s exactly why we’ve put together this handy realtor guide.
Obstacles and problems are part of it, but by better understanding these challenges and needs, it’s much easier to think of solutions and practices that will help you close more and better deals.
Therefore, here you will find tools and strategies to improve all the tasks involved in your work: planning, service, sales and marketing.
Applied together, they have the power to make you be an even better professional, and get the deserved prominence in your region of operation. So, what are you waiting for? We at Tajarat Properties are here to help! Start reading right now and enjoy each of our tips!
Realtor’s Practical Guide
There is a very famous saying:
Seek wisdom and learn to write the most important chapters in your story at the most difficult times in your life.
That’s why we couldn’t start our Realtor Practical Guide any other way.
Knowing means becoming aware of something new, bringing new information to memory. And the most interesting thing about this is that, contrary to what most people think, it is dynamic, changing according to the times, people, their needs and desires.
In that sense, do you know how you can manage to learn more? Let’s look at some very practical and easy ways:
1. Continuous training
To get your CRECI, you probably took a training course for real estate brokerage professionals, right? Well, you’re wrong if you think your education should stop there.
It is very important to carry out what many professionals call “recycling”. These are courses, workshops, training and other formats that aim to bring news to real estate professionals in the most diverse aspects of their career.
These events, by the way, are also often great ways to get in touch with other brokers, sometimes from regions far from your own. People with whom you can exchange different experiences, successes and failures, both learning how to improve their techniques.
2. Readings
No wonder that so much content is produced, especially on the internet. There are articles, books, research and everything else you can imagine, to help you resolve that question that seems to have no solution, or indicate a new way (much more efficient) to organize your career.
So, look for good sources of information (blogs, websites, magazines, books) and take advantage of what they can offer you!
3. Contact network
Also known as networking, it’s always important to stay active. It is usually through it that news arrives — in addition, of course, to presenting great business opportunities, partnerships and the like.
And a good way to do that today is to take advantage of social media. With them, you can not only be closer to know about events and information, but also have a channel available to chat (via text, audio or chats, with and without video).
4. Research groups
Another interesting way to expand your professional knowledge is to create or participate in research groups.
Yes — at first glance, the idea may seem a bit old-fashioned, like something from high school, but believe me, it’s still an excellent option for finding out more about your skills and competencies, and improving them.
Like? Just find other professionals with similar problems and create a group on a social network, on WhatsApp, or even in a physical meeting place. With multiple heads thinking together, it’s easier to find an answer to a problem that alone seemed impossible to solve.
And the coolest thing about groups is that you don’t necessarily have to be with other realtors. Depending on the issue to be resolved, contact can be made with professionals from the most diverse areas — which, above all, still represents a chance to get more clients.
5. Audiovisual material
Indeed, it is not only from readings and contacts that knowledge is built. So, take advantage of the Internet’s breadth to find content also in audio or audiovisual.
Just imagine finding a podcast you can listen to on the way to work, or perhaps a series of videos that show you, in a more practical way, those concepts you’ve already read about but haven’t quite understood. A marvel of modernity!
However, remember that more important than adding new data is incorporating learning into your routine.
Adopt a CRM
CRM is an English acronym that stands for Customer Relationship Management — translating: Customer Relationship Management.
In this sense, CRM can be understood as a strategy for improving and expanding sales results. It is implemented from a tool for capturing, storing and crossing customer and prospect data.
How does CRM work?
Imagine the following situation—which may even be close to one you’ve already been through: Maria calls your office, wanting to close the deal on that property I visit last month.
You, to save time, respond with a “Logic!”, adding that you will research, collect the information and call back. Maria then hangs up, before you can get her number (she called your landline).
You start running, searching your memory, notes in your notebook and calendar, e-mails, cell phone contacts… Who is this Maria? What property does she want? And what is her number? Anyway, a hopeless situation, isn’t it?
Because, from the moment you have a CRM correctly implemented and fed – with a customer or prospect at every contact -, even if the call is made that way, it is infinitely easier to find Maria, the properties she sees and your contact details.
And even if you don’t know exactly which of the properties visited was chosen, you can return the call informing which of those visited are still available. And so, without fear and in a short period of time, return to a negotiation.
How to use CRM in real estate?
In order to complete this practical Realtor guide, it is necessary to go beyond the obvious. And in the case of CRM, it’s no different. Many of the sales increase in kingdom valley is due to the sales team using CRM. It is not just to get you out of the suffocation when it comes to knowing which property each customer has visited. In fact, a good system can provide you with other valuable information about your business, such as:
1. Statistical data
How about finding out which areas and neighborhoods customers are most looking for? Or, what type of property is most sought after? In addition, the customer management system also helps you to know the billing, how many registrations made, the number of calls…
It is even possible to find out how your productivity is going. After all, do you know the percentage of your calls that translates into sales? CRM can give you this information.
2. Customer profile
Many brokers work with a quick questionnaire, which allows you to find out what the contact’s profile is. Imagine, however, being able to store all this data so that you can retrieve it at another time, without depending on memory?
Having access to these client profiles makes it much easier to know how to approach and develop a trusting relationship—important and quite complicated tasks of real estate brokerage.
3. Service
Obviously, by having this quick and easy access to customer profiles and services, your service becomes much faster and more assertive.
If you work with leasing, for example, you can create notices to know about contracts that are nearing their end, so that you can anticipate the negotiations and procedures involved. You may also have a chance to make contact with past contacts to find out if they still need your services.
All of this makes your work more profitable, and you are no longer just a receptive professional to actively work on winning customers and closing new sales.
Advertise real estate on the internet
We know that the internet is a universe of opportunities, so it could not be left out of our guide either. The realtor needs to learn how to use it to his advantage, and one of the easiest ways to do this is from the advertisement of his property portfolio.
More options, easier access
It is increasingly common to search for properties for purchase or rent on the internet. Fast and practical, this is a platform that gives the customer the possibility to make a pre-selection himself, reaching you already with data that will help you understand what he is looking for.
Another feature of offering your portfolio on the internet is that, in this way, you allow clients from other cities or states to plan their move without the need to travel to make a pre-selection of properties.
In fact, recently, with 360-degree images and videos (recorded or live), there are those who already close a deal with just a single visit!
Therefore, create a beautiful showcase of everything you have to offer and use your real estate website, social networks and online classifieds as another way to bring customers to you.
Sharing links
Since we are talking about the practicality of offering different options for the most varied customers, we also need to talk about how practical it is to have links to each property to share.
Today, communication is greatly facilitated online. A customer looking for an apartment with an X profile, for example, might find another one that is perfect for his brother. Then, copy the link and send it by message or email.
Or, perhaps, a customer can contact you via cell phone, and already receive, through the same means, some property links.
Depending on the situation, you can even use URL shorteners, which transform long addresses into short sites (some even let you customize the link so you can know the reference.
Agility and practicality
In the newspaper classifieds, a customer makes his selections: city, neighborhood, apartment or house, number of rooms. Afterwards, he starts to read the “bricks”, marking the ones that interest him. But it’s hard to get all the details like that, from a few words and abbreviations. Then he calls you, the broker, making an appointment.
Often, however, when he arrives at the door and sees the façade live, he says that this is not quite what he was looking for and leaves. And, in fact, when the first contact starts with frustration, it’s a lot harder to establish a trusting relationship.
With all this in mind, by already offering a page with photos, videos and information, you save a lot of time — yours and your customer’s, to choose something worth a visit. What optimizes the process and increases the chances of selling.
Leverage word of mouth marketing
One of the oldest forms of marketing is classic word of mouth. A customer talks to another, who passes it on to a third party, who comments with his circle… And so on.
But, for this to be a productive cycle, in fact, the most important thing is that the service you provide is of quality. Otherwise, this transfer from person to person, instead of indicating it, will serve to make others move away from you.
We’ve given a lot of tips so far on how to be a better trader — and frankly, if you’re reading a real estate agent’s practical guide, it’s very unlikely that you’re not proficient in your field.
So let’s get back to what matters. Contrary to what many people think, word of mouth marketing is not just about luck. It is a tool that can be planned and structured, and it helps a lot those who are starting to establish their brand in the market.
But then, do you know how to get more people to speak well of your service?
1. Participate in the community
Do people in your region know you? To indicate it, they need to know, at least, the fundamentals about a professional. But we’re not just talking about knowing how to point to your office when someone asks for your real estate agency.
The issue here is to be part of the community. And a good way to do this is to participate in social causes or do volunteer work. It doesn’t have to be anything big or costly, but it’s essential that it has these two characteristics: consistency and truth.
Translating very practically means doing something real, with your heart, and on a regular basis.
You can become a collection point for items (food, clothing) for a nursing home or NGO, for example, be part of groups that distribute snacks to homeless people, or participate in volunteer programs to teach classes.
Finally, find out what touches your heart, and what you can do to help others. In addition to making you meet more people, this will help you to promote your services. And, above all, it will still do you good.
2. Know how to disclose yourself
Don’t wait for your customers to realize on their own that your business is improving, or that you’ve closed an important sale: spread the word.
And the best way to do this is through the best customers, people you already have a trusting relationship with. That’s because, if you come to a first contact listing your achievements right away, it’s possible he’ll think you’re just bragging.
Thus, a very simple and practical way to promote yourself is to send a card (perhaps with a gift) to the best customers, with a text that describes their achievements and values their participation for your growth.
3. Don’t forget about old customers
Never forget who helped you from the beginning, no matter how old you are. Schedule activations of these contacts periodically — even the CRM can go in here to remind you of birthdays or other anniversaries.
This continued appreciation, however simple, makes the client certainly remember you when someone asks for a realtor referral. And you’ll still gain another customer, just by staying with the old ones.
4. Solving Problems: An Opportunity
This is an area still very little explored — perhaps because of the difficulty that many professionals (and even companies) usually have with solving problems.
In fact, not everything will always work out. Not every business will come out beautifully. But that’s not the end of the world, nor does it need to be a reason to sour a relationship or create a bad impression of your services. On the contrary: it can be a good chance to win an admirer of your work.
And the first step in nurturing good problem solving is quick feedback. Remember: anyone who has a problem is in a hurry to solve it. Imagine the fear of a person who has just made the biggest purchase of his life and sees that something has gone wrong?
If a pipe bursts in the newly sold apartment, for example, the longer the customer sees water gushing and ruining the floor, furniture, and walls, the worse his relationship with him will be. So, put yourself in the customer’s shoes, and think about what you can do to solve the problem in the best way, and in the shortest time.
Use social media to your advantage
We’ve already talked a little about them, but as this is a practical guide, you need to be extra careful to approach them. The sales team at ASC Cooperative Housing Society have used social media to make an increase in their sales. After all, we know that social networks represent a vital marketing and service channel for real estate brokers today.
By the way, do you really know what they can do for your business? In addition to allowing you to promote your property portfolio, content, and advertising, they are also an efficient service and sales channel. A free platform that offers messaging, chat and much more!
To help you use them in the best way, we’ve separated some best practices for you to enjoy even more your profiles and fanpages. Let’s see:
1. Plan your channels
It’s no use thinking that online presence is creating profiles on all social networks in the world. You must understand that a profile, or page, only works if it is managed and taken care of. And that takes work.
Therefore, see, according to your audience and region of activity, which ones deserve the most attention, and focus your efforts on them.
2. Plan your content
Profiles and pages are not advertising vehicles, pure and simple. In fact, it’s difficult for you to get followers if your page only has posts like “BUY” and “RENT”. It may even have sporadic visitors, but in fact, people are looking for relevant and consistent content.
A home is often the biggest purchase made in a lifetime, and social media is a popular channel to show your mastery of your area of expertise. In other words: they need to realize that you not only trade real estate, but help them solve problems and achieve dreams.
3. Join groups
This is a very smart way to promote your work and your property portfolio on social networks. There are many groups that even specialize in real estate in certain cities, neighborhoods or regions.
These communities are also good sources for researching competition, practiced values and even opportunities to increase your real estate and client portfolio. So take some time in your calendar to scour content, post your ads, and find other groups to join.
4. Invest in advertising
Many social networks have already understood its power to sell ads. And, unlike print media, its values are often far more attractive.
Also, in some of them, you can decide with incredible precision who will see your ad (by age, gender, location, interests, etc.). Not to mention the budget and duration of the action, which can also be decided by you.
So, do some research to find out what each network can offer you, and invest in their ads.
5. Interact with your audience
Social networks are, by definition, spaces for interaction. So, participate! Comment, like, mention, share… Take advantage of your channels to bring interesting information to your audience.
Also, use chat or the exchange of private messages as a form of service. These are free, easy-to-access frameworks—both for you and the customer. Incorporate them into your official channels and help your audience reach you!
Anyway, we hope you enjoyed our practical realtor guide. With this material, we try to raise the main issues that involve your daily life, offering possible solutions and tips for you to continue improving in your profession.
Now, enjoy that the information is still fresh in your memory, sit back and plan how these ideas come into play! Don’t be afraid of the different, or the mistakes. They are part of the learning process, and will help you to overcome obstacles to achieve deserved success!
