An hour a day keeps customers coming your way
Citing a National Association of Realtors® (NAR) survey indicating that over 80 percent of sellers do not list their home with the agent who helped them to buy it, experts say residential property professionals would be wise to dedicate at least one hour per day to keeping in touch with clients. Some practitioners devote an hour in the morning three days a week and an hour in the evening two days per week to prospecting, committing to that time as much as they would to a closing or listing appointment.
Some agents make a point to connect with 50 clients per day, which involves talking to a handful of clients on the phone, leaving phone messages for others and sending messages to many more via social networking sites.
Regardless of the strategy they use, agents must recognize the importance of making friends first and selling homes later, spending 80 percent of their time on prospecting and continuing to make personal contact with clients.
Social media has taken prospecting to a new level, making it possible for agents to provide information and personally connect with clients before offering their services.
“To be truly effective, you have to successfully balance business information with personal touches, photographs, upcoming events, career milestones, etc.,” says Better Homes and Gardens CEO Sherry Chris. “If the only thing you have on your Facebook or MySpace is your listings, you’re missing the boat.”
Source: Realty Times (10/01/09) Escobar, Julie
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