The word salesperson often creates a vision of someone who won’t take no for an answer. There is a fine line between confident and pushy. Aggressive sales strategies can drive clients away. Real estate agents need to build relationships to generate future business and referrals. Discover how to get clients in real estate using a low-key approach – and keep them coming back for more.
Be a Conversation Starter
Real estate agents earn a living by facilitating deals to earn a commission. The driving force to pay bills and meet income expectations can lead to off-putting and unproductive sales strategies. Avoid the urge to engage in the loud barter of a carnival barker. Instead, become a conversation starter. Spark up casual conversations with people at the grocery store, your landscaper, and other boaters at the yacht club. Get to know people in the neighborhood. Attend and promote local events. Become well-known for being a friendly, honest, and approachable person. Hand out business cards to everyone you meet and encourage them to share theirs, too. Organize these contacts and continue to connect with them in the future. Successful real estate careers begin with developing strong relationships.
A Real Person First and A Real Estate Agent Second
People trust someone they know personally. It takes more than telling everyone you’re a real estate agent to build meaningful relationships. Be a real person first, and a real estate agent second. Talk about your hobbies, favorite restaurants, and what makes you unique. Avoid controversial topics, such as religion and politics. Show the upbeat side of your personality in social media posts, blogs, advertisements, and personal interactions. Always be your authentic self. Listen to what others say and get to know them, too. Once a rapport is established, let people know you are a real estate agent who is ready to help anyone buy or sell a house.
Educate and Inform
Grandstanding about accomplishments is puffery. While it is smart to add accolades to business cards and websites, don’t brag about them to impress clients. Instead, educate people and provide meaningful information they need. If a real estate agent can help improve their lives, people will trust him or her and refer the agent to others. Be ready to answer questions and do research as necessary. Write blog posts that reach out to potential buyers and sellers, such as types of home mortgages and steps to selling a house. An agent who becomes a respected resource will generate more leads.
Networking for Relationships
People need to like you before they decide to work with you. Networking is more than self-promotion, although that is a low-key part of meeting people. The top priority should be creating, building, and nurturing long-term relationships. Connect with potential clients, real estate agents, and other professionals. For example, a solid relationship with a builder, mortgage broker or attorney could lead to reciprocal referrals in the future. A club member might have a neighbor who is selling a house. Collaborate, share ideas, and interact with others to build a solid client base that includes referrals.
Understand the Concept of Soft Selling
An agent who feels uncomfortable using high-pressure sales tactics might hang back and miss out on potential clients. A forceful monologue may anger customers and kill any potential of building a relationship. And negative word-of-mouth travels as quickly as positive reinforcement. Get to know the concept of soft selling, which could be a more comfortable fit. The goal is to gently push real estate without pushing clients away. Soft sellers listen more than they speak. When they talk, the conversation is focused on what they can do to assist a client rather than an aggressive sales pitch. A soft-sell approach is helpful, persuasive, and low-pressure based on providing solutions rather than making sales.
Relax and Let It Happen
A hard seller relentlessly pursues people until they agree on a deal or decide to dismiss the agent altogether. The goals are to close quickly and make fast money. It often takes more time to get to the finish line with a soft-sell approach. However, building relationships means getting more referrals. Finding out what people want and exceeding their expectations ensures they remember you when they are ready to buy or sell again. Instead of focusing on immediate deals, soft sellers keep the future in mind. Soft-selling agents learn to relax and let the deals happen as they build trust and establish a solid client base. People always remember a personal, direct approach in business, and want to work with someone who cares about their needs.
Reach Out and Stay in Touch
Meaningful relationships require ongoing maintenance. A soft-sell agent must be organized and keep track of all contacts. Include details such as where you met, what they like to do, and if they are thinking about buying, selling or renting properties. Open the door to share marketing resources, such as free ebooks, and email or text newsletters. Distribute these materials automatically then let the client digest them independently. Follow-up in a few days with a personal call, email or text to see how the client is doing. If they ask how you are, share a memorable anecdote or amusing story about your life. When they respond, ask how they liked your recent ebook or newsletter to initiate a conversation about real estate.
When agents learn how to get clients in real estate by using a soft-sell approach rather than an aggressive stance, they stand out from the crowd. People appreciate and remember a low-key, authentic personality. Develop relationships based on honesty, mutual respect, and sharing relevant information, then watch the referrals keep coming in.
