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Starting a career in real estate can be daunting yet rewarding. Transitioning educational knowledge into building relationships with prospective buyers requires humility and a determination to perfect the craft.
When I was a newbie in the industry, my strategy began with dedicating time to learning from leaders who excelled at providing unique customer experiences that left a lasting impression. Their advice offered insight into the different dynamics of the real estate industry.
Agents look to brokers as leaders and rely on broker support to help them define and implement successful customer satisfaction practices. Brokers succeed when they are committed to leading their agents and providing them with the resources and community necessary to foster relationships.
Our success at Stone Martin Builders (SMB) is directly related to the lessons I learned through my professional community, composed of industry leaders and a diverse group of real estate professionals that I found through my involvement with local real estate organizations. As a company, we’ve learned that these three simple and effective tools have helped us maintain buyer satisfaction that exceeds expectations:
- Build dynamic teams committed to buyer success
- Be comfortable having difficult conversations
- Customer satisfaction extends beyond the process; always aim to offer more
At SMB, being a trusted advisor to prospective buyers requires the right support. All our teams provide a seamless experience and guide home buyers through each stage of the process. Relationship building is at the helm of how we operate, which is the key takeaway for brokers to relay to their agents.
Building a relationship with the buyer and their family starts with understanding who they are, what goals they want to achieve and where they are in the homebuying journey. Once an agent understands these factors, they need to be equipped with the tools and resources to help guide buyers to their goals.
A brokerage needs to offer the right support so that agents can focus on the client. This might look like regular check-ins with agents to ensure they are committed to their clients’ goals and providing the resources an agent needs—a transaction coordinator, marketing support, educational opportunities, technology, etc.
Encourage Empathy
As experts in the homebuying space, we are all trying to empower buyers by providing the right amount of information to educate without causing overwhelm. As I train real estate professionals, I like to reinforce that we should walk alongside buyers, ensuring they understand that their agent is not here to push them into something they are not prepared for. Additionally, as buyers advance in the homebuying process, real estate practitioners should show empathy and compassion. Not all clients come with the same level of preparation and knowledge of the process, and it is the agent’s job to be their guide.
The Value of Feedback
Asking for feedback can also help an agent navigate new ways to personalize the buyer's experience. For example, we implemented the buyer satisfaction survey. We provide this survey at three points: at closing, 30 days post-close, and one year post-close. This allows SMB to gauge what areas in our process call for improvement.
Create the Right Environment
In this industry, it is crucial to be comfortable having transparent conversations with buyers who might want to avoid important information, like the state of their finances. These conversations can oftentimes be difficult or uncomfortable for clients. But understanding a client’s financial circumstances helps inform the sale, so agents who are informed are better prepared to help their clients. As a broker, troubleshoot situations that involve uncomfortable conversations with your agents. Give agents tools to help create a relaxed environment during first introductions so that they can increase buyers' willingness to be open about their financial circumstances.
Take the Extra Step
Agents should provide the same level of service to all clients, but they can also tailor their approach to the client's needs. For example, when necessary, taking an extra step with detail-oriented buyers can aid in easing concerns. SMB agent teams in the Huntsville, Ala., area commonly work with buyers who are engineers or government employees who seek a deeper understanding of the building process. As an extra level of service, these agents facilitate opportunities for buyers to meet with the build team. This extra step reinforces the buyer's trust in the agent.
In these unique circumstances, additional steps may prolong the process, but brokers will want to emphasize that agents should not be deterred. Earlier in my career as a new real estate professional, I worked with an entrepreneur who was a first-time homebuyer. This buyer needed more information to understand the process. I provided all the information and documentation needed, and it made the process longer. However, seeing the process through to completion and watching him get his keys was rewarding. We saw our hard work pay off in real time.
It’s important that brokers remember agents are representatives of the brokerage. When brokers meet the needs of their buyers and aim to offer that extra step in service, they can build a lasting relationship with the company, often resulting in referrals to family and friends who are ready to enter the real estate market.
Communicate Often and With Clarity
Delays in the home-building process that are outside an agent’s control can negatively impact customer satisfaction, such as delays in materials or inclement weather. Materials that are slow to arrive are two examples. In these situations, effective communication is non-negotiable. I have found communicating weekly with the buyer about where they are in the homebuying process is necessary to navigate the process.
Unwanted surprises can also trip up momentum. Providing photos or videos of the home in its various stages during the building process prevents these hiccups. In rare instances where quality does not meet customer satisfaction, having customer service representatives contact home buyers who have had negative experiences can help. Seeking constantly to improve, this feedback is an opportunity to gain experience, as these instances can be used as case studies for sales teams' training efforts. Team members learn how to rectify these situations as they impact the homebuying journey.d
