Louisiana 6-12-17 by Top Agent Magazine

LOUISIANA EDITION

KEEPING IN TOUCHâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; How to Stay in Your Clients' Lives for the Long Haul Things You Can Do to ANTICIPATE YOUR CLIENT'S NEEDS FEATURED AGENT

COURTNEY KATTENGELL & TIFFANY RIDDLE COVER STORY

STEVEN SEALE

7 Deadly Sins of PERSONAL BRANDING Reaching the MILLENNIAL MARKET through Social Media

LOUISIANA EDITION

COURTNEY KATTENGELL & TIFFANY RIDDL As a former teacher in New Orleans’ inner city school district, Top Agent Courtney Kattengell of Keller Williams’ TCK Property Marketplace understands implicitly the value of education, particularly as applied to the real estate industry.

get four f works fo our clien

Servicing of their priority TCK Pr “Sometim financial “I love to mentor new agents,” when we pillows at night we can sleep knowing says Courtney, “I like to be in a position whereCOURTNEY I can inspire KATTENGELL STEVEN SEALE & TIFFANY RIDDLE people and share my expertise. It kind of fires me up, actually.” for our clients that we could. It’s never Courtney and her co-lead agent at TCK Property Marketmoney as much as it is to serve their place, Tiffany Riddle, head a team of highly professional achieve their goals.” listing and buying agents who all share their commitment to excellence in client service. CONTENTS This dedication to caring for Courtney and Tiffany take great pride i their customers has vaulted them to the top of the real estate community, and recently adopted a lo 18) 4) 7 DEADLY SINS OF KEEPING INthey TOUCH— world in The Big Easy. for which raised over $10,000 a PERSONAL BRANDING hosted. “This was a new thing for us HOW TO STAY IN YOUR It was in 2006 that her father encouraged Courtney to we’re really looking forward to continu CLIENTS' LIVES FOR THE explore a career in real estate. “I started doing it part-time to have our affiliates and our clients jum LONG to supplement myTHE teaching income,” she says. “But I didn’tHAUL with us, to feel the energy, and to help t 13) REACHING really understand the business, and didn’t really view it as a MILLENNIAL MARKET business. Then, when I had my first child in 2009 and was As for the future of TCK Property M 22) THINGS YOU CAN looking for more flexibility, I decided to commit to real estate is looking forward to diversifying their THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA full-time. That’s when I realized that I needed aDO muchTO more ANTICIPATE tinuing to offer the very best in clien YOUR business-like approach.” New Orleans.

CLIENT'S NEEDS

While working at a brokerage prior to joining Keller Williams, Courtney recognized that she was interested in the team concept. “I didn’t really know what that looked like, since the agency| Fax I was310-751-7068 with didn’t really follow that model. Phone 888-461-3930 So for commission reasons and for more progressive training mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com and support for the team approach, I moved my license to No portion ofKeller this issue may be reproduced in any manner without invited prior consent of the publisher. Top Agent Williams.” Once ensconced at whatsoever KW, Courtney Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published former co-worker Tiffany to join her and the TCK Property materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. Team was born. To subscribeMarketplace or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com. Published in the U.S.

Serving the vast Greater New Orleans area, TCK can boast that almost 90% of its business is based on repeat clients and referrals. “I think it’s because of the way we operate as a team,” explains Courtney. “Our highest priority is delivering elite client service and a professional experience. We deliver

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and they don’t care for sudden changes in procedure or lifestyle. They also like activities they can start and finish. Compliants are thinkers. They’re always wondering how things work. They want practicality, logic, fairness and a systematic approach. When talking to thinkers give facts, documentation and data. They seek accuracy. They’re motivated by standards of high quality, limited social interaction, detailed tasks and logical organization of information.

7 Deadly Sins of Personal Branding

some personality assessment tools can cost thousands of dollars, but at Corcoran Coaching, we’ve opted for a much more affordable offering: a free DIsC assessment. Just visit www.corcorancoaching.com/behavioralstyle. php and you’ll be guided through a quick questionnaire to learn your own What is a style ‘personal Just likeothers com- as sistently dominant andbrand’? how to read well. (across all marketing platforms), pany or product branding, it’s built around a well-defined brand can elevate agent recimaging and messaging that is designed to ognition and help to establish credibility Yes, understanding people, listening to their needs and wants and responding create a feeling. And in the case of personal and authority. However, when executed appropriately all takehow work But because realare estate is a people branding, it influences you and wantattention. others incorrectly, the effects lackluster at best, business, it’s simply a must. And the better at it you become, the to feel about you. From your photos to other and harmful at worst. To help you better avoid living as an or broker. brandyou’ll images,make elements andagent even content, theI promise. pitfalls of personal branding, we’ve there is a lot that goes into creating your compiled a list of what we feel are the 7 unique brand.to Displayed Best of luck you! correctly and con- deadliest sins.

Copyright©, 2015 BubbaNO Mills. All rights reserved. DIFFERENTIATION Branding about being known forvicereal estate agent who expressed to us that Bubba Mills isis not co-owner and executive president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), an in international your profession. It’s about being known she was already well branded her area. consulting coaching that performance coaching and for being and different in yourcompany profession. If specializes She stated,in“When I walk into a restaurant theallimplementation sound systems Real Estate Companies, Mortgage agents were the of same, howbusiness would your in into my community, people already know Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational customers know who to choose? Lack of I’m a real estate agent.” And while that and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage differentiation is out by more far the #1 personal is a great start, it’s nowhere close to succompanies. To find about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 We love to tell the story of a cessful branding. Let’s assume I walked or branding visit us at sin. www.CorcoranCoaching.com. 4

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into that restaurant and noticed her. But I also noticed two other agents in the same restaurant. Now, who do I choose? Which

‘brand’ stands out to me? What lets me know that one of them is uniquely positioned to serve my needs?

and they don’t care for sudden changes in procedure or lifestyle. They also NO FOCUS like activities they can start and finish. In business, you can’t be all things to all side of your specific focus. That would be people. Many have and failed. In or- always quite difficult. It does mean over work. time Compliants are tried thinkers. They’re wondering howthat, things der to have business and brand, doneacorrectly), you approach. will do moreWhen and They wanta successful practicality, logic, fairness(ifand systematic you must define yourfacts, ideal custommore ofand the data. exact They kind ofseek business you talking toclearly thinkers give documentation accuracy. er and how you will super-serve that cus- want, and conversely, even stop doing They’re motivated by standards of high quality, limited social interaction, tomer. In other words, declare and develop the kind of business you don’t want. And detailed tasks and focused, logical itorganization of information. a specialty. By being does NOT that’s what a great brand is designed to mean that you stop doing all business outaccomplish.

some personality assessment tools can cost thousands of dollars, but at Corcoran Coaching, we’veNO opted for a much more affordable offering: a free AUTHENTICITY DIsC assessment. Just visit www.corcorancoaching.com/behavioralstyle. Recognizable personal brands can be very You should be able to ‘breathe your brand’ php and you’ll be guided through a quick questionnaire to learn your own clever and memorable, but if your brand in everything that you do. This is importdominant andlast. how to read as well. isn’t ‘you’,style it won’t If you try toothers put ant not only for your customers, but perout a persona that is different from your haps most importantly for you. There is Yes, needs and wants responding ownunderstanding and the way you people, live yourlistening life, peo- to their a tremendous amount of and confidence that ple will take notice overwork time. and The attention. most comes knowing youisare who appropriately all take Butwith because realthat estate a people incredible it’s personal brands weaveAnd pro-theyou portray, that become, you have the business, simply a must. better at itandyou thehabits, better fessional and personal intoorone. inspiration, knowledge and expertise to living you’ll make asqualities an agent broker. I promise. Your brand becomes an extension of you. back it up.

Best of luck to you!

NO CONSISTENCY

rable brand, but if you don’t display those ple don’t see them nearly as often, so don’t branding correctly consis- viceapply or compare your own habits and Bubba Millselements is co-owner andand executive president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international tently across all of your marketing plat- exposure to theirs. Repetitiveness in marconsulting andyou coaching company in only performance coaching and forms, it does little good. In orderthat to specializes keting is not a good thing, it’s essenthe implementation sound systems Real Estate Companies, Mortgage accomplish this taskofwell, youbusiness must step tialinto for retention. Once you determine the Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational back from your marketing and see it the overall messaging and look of your brand, and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage way others To do.find Youout seemore yourabout socialCorcoran media Consulting that look should continuecall across literally companies. & Coaching, 1-800-957-8353 every day. You see your business every marketing platform you touch. orchannels visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com. Top Agent Magazine

NO CONTENT The ultimate goal of personal branding is comfortable producing is the key to keeping to become known as an authority in your it simple. No one wants to be bogged down andchosen they niche. don’t That caremeans for sudden or lifestyle. They also withprocedure producing content. But on the flip side, that youchanges must in likedemonstrate activitiesthe they can start and finish. knowledge, expertise and/ no one knows how much you know until or experience to back up your position. you share it. Great content demonstrates your knowledge and how helps your customers Content that are best expresses youThey’re and your always Compliants thinkers. wondering things work. at the same time. In addition, it serves anbrand could be as simple as a series of They want practicality, logic, fairness and a systematic approach. When other purpose with search engine optimizaphotos, quotes, e-books, video shorts, etc. talking to thinkers give facts, documentation and data. They seek accuracy. Choosing the type of content you’re most tion and attracting prospects online.

They’re motivated by standards of high quality, limited social interaction, detailed tasks and logicalNO organization of ACTION information. CALL TO

You’re spending money to market across using other people’s money’. Your call some personality assessment tools can cost thousands of dollars, but at multiple platforms, so why not take the to action may change with different marCorcoran Coaching, opted for more affordable offering: keting channels or purposes, buta free you opportunity to extendwe’ve an invitation fora much DIsC Just with visityou? www.corcorancoaching.com/behavioralstyle. your assessment. prospects to engage It can should always, always have one. If you want people to do something, tell them a simple call be to action, such as ‘call me phpbeand you’ll guided through a quick questionnaire to learn your own you’d like them to do. That’s how you first’ or more ‘contact me others for a aswhat dominant stylespecific, and how to read well. free home staging assessment’ or ‘download my e-book and learn how to invest

move prospects one step closer to becoming customers.

Yes, understanding people, listening to their needs and wants and responding appropriately all take work attention. But because real estate is a people NOand FOLLOW-THROUGH business, it’s simply a must. And the better at it you become, the better with hundreds of agents, folWhyyou’ll is this included in branding, living make as an agentyou or may broker.munication I promise. ask? Because your brand is your bond. It’s low-through is at the top of the list when it comes to customer complaints. You don’t your handshake. When you say you’ll do Best of luck how to you! something, can people trust you if want to be that person. Putting an incredible you don’t follow through with your prom- message and image out there isn’t enough. must live up to those standards with ise? This is often elementMills. that people Copyright©, 2015theBubba All rightsYou reserved. forget altogether. And in fact, in our com- every customer, every transaction

Bubba Mills is co-owner and executive vice president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), international ® Tonya Eberhart is the Branding Agent to Business Stars and founder ofan BrandFace , LLC. ® consulting andMichael coaching company that specializes in performance coaching Carr is America’s Top Selling Real Estate Auctioneer & BrandFace partner. and the implementation of they sound systems into Real Estatedesigned Companies, Mortgage Together, focusbusiness on personal branding and marketing to help real estate ® professionals become theBubba face of their & a star in their market. BrandFace Companies and Small Businesses. Millsbusiness is a nationally recognized inspirational Real Estate Professionals is a book, speaking and and an exclusive and educationfor speaker, coach and mentor toprofessional the top real estateseries agents mortgage workshop for agents, and is currently active in 18 U.S. states, Canada and New Zealand. companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 For more information, visit www.BrandFaceRealEstate.com. or visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com. 6

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STEVEN SEALE Top Agent Magazine

STEVEN SEALE Broker/owner, Steven Seale, of Steven Seale Properties: Delivering dreams and investments with honesty, expertise and outstanding service. Steven Seale started out at 22 with a telemarketing job. Today he’s the broker/owner of Steven Seale Properties with a net worth of close to $15 million, doing for clients what he’s done for himself over the last 14 years: delivering dreams and investments with honesty, expertise and outstanding service. And he’s moving forward at the speed of light. In 2003, Steven had $3,000 and a 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

steady job. He began looking for a house. He found one, but it had a tax lien that took more than a year to clear. While he waited, the telemarketing industry changed and his job became in jeopardy. When he told the Realtor he might not be able to proceed with the sale, she responded that he should get his real estate license and she would put him to work! So he did—and he sold a house his first week on the job. Steven continued Top Agent Magazine

working both jobs until the telemarketing job was phased out. At that point, he had enough money for three months. “When the third month rolled around,” he says, “it was make-or-break time. I sold five houses that month!” He’s never looked back. He opened his own company in a prime location by a mall and has five agents. He’s become a contractor, too, flipping houses, renting houses and building apartment buildings all over the state. His story inspires everyone, including himself. Steven serves the central Louisiana/Rapides Parish area, but he’ll go wherever clients Top Agent Magazine

want. Repeats and referrals account for 90 percent of his business. Clients keep coming to him, three and four times now, because he has their back. “I don’t sugarcoat anything,” he says, “I tell the truth. Sometimes it hurts, but if I were in that position, that’s what I would want. A lot of Realtors price the home too high just to get the listing, and six months later, they haven’t been able to sell it. I rarely find a house I can’t sell.” His clients trust him. He guides them through the buying or selling process smoothly and efficiently, and his efforts have paid off from the beginning. He was named Rookie of the Year in 2004, and he’s been in the top 5 percent in sales volume ever since. Copyright Top Agent Magazine9

Primarily a listing agent, Steven uses a variety of marketing methods, from the usual websites—Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com— to social media. A marketing specialist on his team places advertising using Facebook’s algorithm to help target the audience. If Steven has an exclusive new house or subdivision in the vicinity of clients who’ve provided him referrals, he calls to alert them.

coaching since his son was four years old. “There’s nothing I’d rather do,” he says. “It’s my way of helping the kids become good people.” He built his son a baseball field and batting cage in the backyard and they play every day, year round. His son is now the team’s MVP. Besides baseball, he and his family enjoy boating, LSU games and traveling.

He’s definitely a people person, always out and about in his small town, so staying in touch with past clients comes naturally. Some of his clients have become connections for life.

Steven’s focus for the future is on longevity. He’d love to grow his company into a $100 million business and develop shopping centers and apartment complexes throughout the state. He’d be contributing not only to Louisianans, but to his children’s future— and that’s a motivator that never quits.

When Steven isn’t working, his life centers around Little League, which he’s been Copyright Top Agent Magazine 10

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For more information about Steven Seale of Steven Seale Properties, LLC, Alexandria, LA, please visit StevenSealeProperties.com, call 318.715.3333 or email sealesteven@aol.com www.

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#Reaching the Millennial Market Through Social Media by Bubba Mills

The old adage in marketing says if you aim at everyone you’ll miss them all. I know REALTORS® sometimes fall into the trap of attempting to reach everyone and then scratch their heads when they only hear crickets chirping. If you’re one of those (or even if you’re not), stick with me and I might be able to help you.

know how to reach them. For that part, I’ll share two words: social media. Many surveys have confirmed that social media is the Millennials’ dominant source of information, even above search engines. So the best way to build relationships and trust with Millennials is through social media.

The true beauty of social media is not only its reach but its implied advocacy. When Millennials find content they relate to, they share it with their The National Association of REAL- peers. So if one person shares your TORS® has found that Millennials message, it could instantly go to hunrepresent the largest share of recent dreds (or even thousands) of people buyers (32 percent of all buyers last with the inferred praise of the person year were Millennials). But here’s sharing it. the kicker: the overwhelming majority use real estate agents. Are If you’re not using social media, lights and bells going off in your again, check your pulse. Then start learning about social media and get head? If not, check your pulse. active on it. I promise it’ll be well So a great place to sharpen your worth your time. The big ones are marketing aim is with Millennials. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr That’s half the equation—knowing and Instagram. You can Google each who to go after. The second half is to and get a feel for which ones make Let me start with one word: Millennials—those between the ages of 18 and 34.

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Many surveys have confirmed that social media is the Millennials’ dominant source of information. the most sense for you, but all of them have something to offer REALTORS®.

I’m proud of that because I know in this day and age anyone who sells anything must use social media.

Now I’m not one to toot my own horn, but for this topic I will only with the hope that you give what I say a little more weight. Last year, a national magazine named me to its 25 most connected professionals list.

So here are some tips you can start using to reach Millennials on their terms:

1. First, take time to understand social media. Join them (they’re free!) Top Agent Magazine

Millennials under stand marketers and they’re open to their messages on social media—if the messages are relevant to their lives. Otherwise, they simply ignore it.

and just take it all in. See what it’s all about and what kind of information people share. Spend at least several days learning before you share info. 2. Make sure what you share fits the specific social media outlet. For example, Facebook and Twitter are primarily personal tidbits, news and they’re both fairly casual, while Instagram is geared almost exclusively for visuals and photos. 3. Make sure your information is relevant and useful to improve the chance it gets shared. Millennials understand marketers and they’re open to their messages on social media—if the messages are relevant to their lives. Otherwise, they simply ignore it. Top Agent Magazine

4. Make it interesting. Instead of saying, ‘Gee, I have this great listing.’ Why not just share a picture of a cool looking wrap-around front porch of a house (that just happens to be one of your listings) that was built in the 1940s. Bubba Mills is co-owner and executive vice president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching. com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems into Real Estate Companies, Mortgage Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1800-957-8353 or visit us at www.Corcoran Coaching.com. 15

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COURTNEY KATTENGELL & TIFFANY RIDDLE As a former teacher in New Orleans’ inner city school district, Top Agent Courtney Kattengell of Keller Williams’ TCK Property Marketplace understands implicitly the value of education, particularly as applied to the real estate industry. “I love to mentor new agents,” says Courtney, “I like to be in a position where I can inspire people and share my expertise. It kind of fires me up, actually.” Courtney and her co-lead agent at TCK Property Marketplace, Tiffany Riddle, head a team of highly professional listing and buying agents who all share their commitment to excellence in client service. This dedication to caring for their customers has vaulted them to the top of the real estate world in The Big Easy. It was in 2006 that her father encouraged Courtney to explore a career in real estate. “I started doing it part-time to supplement my teaching income,” she says. “But I didn’t really understand the business, and didn’t really view it as a business. Then, when I had my first child in 2009 and was looking for more flexibility, I decided to commit to real estate full-time. That’s when I realized that I needed a much more business-like approach.”

get four for the price of one. It works for us, and it works for our clients.” Servicing the best interests of their many clients takes priority to a commission for TCK Property Marketplace. “Sometimes it has a negative financial effect on us, but when we put our heads on our pillows at night we can sleep knowing we did the best job for our clients that we could. It’s never our intention to make money as much as it is to serve their needs and help them achieve their goals.” Courtney and Tiffany take great pride in giving back to their community, and recently adopted a local homeless shelter for which they raised over $10,000 at a recent event they hosted. “This was a new thing for us this year, something we’re really looking forward to continuing. It was awesome to have our affiliates and our clients jump on the bandwagon with us, to feel the energy, and to help the shelter.” As for the future of TCK Property Marketplace, Courtney is looking forward to diversifying their business, while continuing to offer the very best in client service available in New Orleans.

While working at a brokerage prior to joining Keller Williams, Courtney recognized that she was interested in the team concept. “I didn’t really know what that looked like, since the agency I was with didn’t really follow that model. So for commission reasons and for more progressive training and support for the team approach, I moved my license to Keller Williams.” Once ensconced at KW, Courtney invited former co-worker Tiffany to join her and the TCK Property Marketplace Team was born. Serving the vast Greater New Orleans area, TCK can boast that almost 90% of its business is based on repeat clients and referrals. “I think it’s because of the way we operate as a team,” explains Courtney. “Our highest priority is delivering elite client service and a professional experience. We deliver the best, so our clients are happy to refer us to others without hesitation.” The team concept has added benefit, believes Courtney. “There are four of us, Tiffany, myself and then two other team members who work with us. Our clients really Top Agent Magazine

For more information about COURTNEY KATTENGELL, please call 504-214-9840 or email Courtney@TCKpropertymarketplace.com Copyright Top Agent Magazine 17

g n i p Kee h c u in To

HOW TO STAY IN YOUR CLIENTS' LIVES FOR THE LONG HAUL

One sign of a great real estate agent is there long list of loyal client following. Part of achieving a great referral base is being a great realtor during the transaction. But, that’s only half of the work. To truly be your client’s realtor for life and keep them coming back to you as well as referring others to you, you have to stay in their lives past the transaction. Keeping in touch with your past clients can be one of the most important parts of your business, and one that many realtors tend to push to the wayside. Do you stay in your client’s lives, or do you disappear? People refer people that they feel they know well and that they trust, people they consider friends. However, earning and keeping your client’s trust involves maintaining a delicate balance with how much you contact them. Experts recommend reaching out to your clients at least quarterly. But, it’s not just about how often you stay in touch. You also need to be mindful about how you are reaching out to them. Here are some tips on how to keep in touch with your clients for the long haul: 18

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INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL CONTACT One of the best ways to keep in touch with your clients is to simply give them a call every once in a while. Follow up and see how your clients are doing. Offer them assistance if they need it. Personalized contact helps to ensure that you remain as important to your clients long after the sale as you were during the transaction. Giving your clients a call on special occasions such as birthdays or holidays also makes for a great personal touch. Of course, nothing beats face-to-face contact. Stopping by to say hello can be a great way to keep in contact. An even better way to catch up and maintain that friendship is to set up a lunch or coffee date with past clients. Giving individual clients your undivided attention goes a long way towards maintaining that bond you formed during the transaction and earning your client’s loyalty and trust. Interactions like this make a lasting impression on your clients. Of course, many busy REALTORS® may not have time to follow up with every client oneon-one. A great way to still give personal attention to your clients without meeting each and every one for lunch is to throw a client appreciation party. This allows you to get in some face-to-face time with each client and make sure they all get your undivided attention and quality time to catch up with you, even if it’s only for a short time. Now, if you have a lot of past clients, this can be difficult to manage during one party. One way to get around the numbers problem is to organize smaller events based on client’s interests. Instead of throwing one giant party, host a pool party for the families with kids or a wine and cheese get together for single clients. Hosting special events like these ones goes a long way towards keeping your contact with past clients more personalized and setting you apart from those businesses that simply send them a calendar once a year.

PROVIDE CLIENTS WITH USEFUL NEWS PROVIDE CLIENTS WITH USEFUL NEWS One way that many REALTORS® keep in touch with their clients is by sending them newsletters. This form of contact can be a double-edged sword. You want to make sure you provide them with useful information that reminds them of your value as a real estate professional. Otherwise your communication will amount to nothing more than spam, and clients will think of you less as a trusted friend and more as a nuisance salesperson. Clients react much more positively to communication containing information that is pertinent to their lives. Update your clients on what is going on in their local community and Top Agent Magazine

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housing market. Demonstrate your knowledge about the community and the things that are important to your clients. Include information about local cultural events, community news, housing statistics, information on the mortgage market, home maintenance advice, home design tips, and anything else that your clients will find personally useful. Your clients will always be interested in value.

SEND CLIENTS MEMORABLE AND PERSONAL CARDS Sending your clients cards related to important events in their lives and letting them know that you remember those events and care will go a long way towards building and maintaining a close personal relationship with them. You want to make sure your cards stand out, though. Sending popular holiday cards can be a mistake, as they will most likely get lost amongst all of your clients other holiday cards and will be quickly forgotten. Instead send something more personal such as: HOME ANNIVERSARY CARDS: Send cards to each client on the anniversary of the closing of their home.

CONGRATULATORY CARDS: Remember important events such as wedding anniversaries, graduations, new babies, etc.

SPECIAL BIRTHDAY CARDS: Instead of just sending your typical birthday card, add something special to yours that will stand out. Include a $1 scratch off ticket or a $5 gift certificate to Starbucks. Make sure to include a handwritten personal note.

GIVE CLIENTS AN UNUSUAL GIFT Make sure the gifts you send your past clients stand out. Send your past clients an odd gift at the beginning of the year or on a holiday. Think outside the box and send things like funny magnets, customized mugs, a personalized piece of wall décor, and other fun and unusual items. A great way to make your gift stand out even more is to include a funny note with it that will catch their attention as well as make them think of you. For example, one cute idea is to send clients a bag of popcorn with the note, “Real estate is popping, give me a call.” You could send a bag of goldfish with a note attached that says, “I’m fishing for your referrals.” Get creative and have a little fun with it, your clients will notice and remember you for it. 20

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TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS

Social networking sites make staying in contact with past clients in a more informal and friendly basis much easier. Connect with your past clients on Facebook. This will help you stay up to date on the important things happening in your pact clients’ lives. In return, it provides you a great platform for keeping those past clients up to date with what is going on in your business as well as keep in contact in a more informal manner. Use Facebook to remind past clients to check their basement after a heavy rain or that they can contact you for help during tax time. You can even organize your contacts on Facebook into customized lists such as “past clients,” “industry contacts,” etc. This will help you better manage your Facebook contacts. This will also allow you to view specific news feeds based on these lists and send messages to a particular list of contacts. Don’t forget about the many other social networking sites such as Twitter or LinkedIn either. Utilize this technology to drive personal contact with your clients.

STAY ORGANIZED No matter how you choose to keep in contact with past clients, make sure to be consistent. Consistency will help you stay organized and diligent about reaching out to your past clients regularly. A tool used by many real estate professionals to stay organized is a customer relationship management solution. Whether you use one that is online or a computer software program, this will help you stay organized when managing your contacts and allow you to set notifications to alert you when you need to contact certain clients, send out gifts, plan a client appreciation event, and many other things throughout the year. Staying organized and consistent in your contact with past clients will help you continue to build and manage your referral base, as well as open the door to repeat and referral business. Top Agent Magazine

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Things You Can Do to Anticipate Your Cleint’s Needs First and foremost, the real estate industry is a customer service business. The key to any successful real estate business is one that can build a reputation by providing an unsurpassed level of care. That usually means a transaction that is seamless and stress-free as possible throughout the whole process. Your client’s experience is what keeps them not only coming back, but gets them to recommend you to their friend and family.

tise. By showing you can not only anticipate their needs, but have insight into any potential problems that might arise, they will have complete confidence in you. Achieving that level of trust is the key to a transaction that is as stress-free as possible.

The key to creating a great experience is anticipating your client’s needs. They are relying on your professionalism and exper-

From the moment, you meet a po-tential client, your goal should be to find out not only what they are looking for as far as their real estate

GET TO KNOW YOUR CLIENTS ON A PERSONAL LEVEL

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goals, but who they are as a person. Listening and asking the right questions from the start is one of the most important aspects of the job. You almost have to become an amateur psychologist, really honing in on the emotional reasons behind their real estate transaction. Taking time upfront not only gives you valuable insight into your client, but it is the first impression your clients have that you truly care about them, and that this isn’t just another commission check for you. This goes miles in helping them feel comfortable enough to rely on your guidance. Knowing who your client is on a deep level will help you navigate the transition ups and downs, allowing you to anticipate the best way to handle it.

SPOT POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND PROVIDE SOLUTIONS Having insight into your client’s per-sonality type will come in handy when you anticipate an upcoming snag in the transaction. Most people find the process to be stressful even under the best of circumstances. One of the best rules of thumb is to always provide the solutions to anticipated problems when you present them to the client. This should be the case even when the problem isn’t on you. Anything that can ruin a client’s overall experience can reflect poorly on you, whether you deserve it or not. This is a business philosophy called “zero risk”. You don’t want to take any chances with having an unsatisfied customer. This is where your experience in the business pays off. You’ve probably seen most things and can easily anticipate problems that are Top Agent Magazine

likely to delay the process. Remember you are in charge. You are the expert. And, remember, part of avoiding potential problems is making sure your client knows what to expect upfront, always communicate openly and honestly. Telling people what they want to hear and knowing you can’t deliver it, is destined to fail, and will always reflect poorly on you.

FIND WAYS TO EXCEED EXPECTATIONS Recognizing ways to exceed a cus-tomer’s needs is just as important as looking out for potential problems, when it comes to creating an exceptional experience. Have a vetted list of trusted service providers. Be hands on. There are Realtors® who are out there helping clients pack, mowing lawns, and picking kids up from school. They are there for a client in ways that are unexpected. Having one thing taken off your plate during a stressful period in your life can feel like a lifesaver and is not soon forgotten. It is those “little” things that will turn a client into a lifelong advocate for your business.

TAKE IN FEEDBACK A good service provider is always trying to do better. Many Realtors® have clients fill out surveys after the transaction is over. This serves two purposes. It helps you become better at your job and it shows your clients that you care about them and their opinions. You can also use social media to get feedback via analytics and interactions. All of this information can then be used to create better customer experiences in the future. After all, this is a customer service industry. Treat it like one and you’re bound to succeed. 23

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Top Agent Magazine