Have you seen how teens text these days? There are hardly any words—it’s all EMOJIS! Can you imagine only using emojis to try and close a deal? Thankfully, you can refrain from using emojis to communicate with clients. But, communication skills can be hard to master.
Essential to success, good and effective communication can take a real estate agent’s service and elevate it to the next level. When you learn to master great communication skills, you share your knowledge and expertise with clients and build trust with them quickly.
Here are some tips to help you become a more effective communicator, and cultivate client satisfaction and your business.
Set Expectations and Keep Them
When expectations are not met, people get upset. If your client expects a phone call or email from you and they don’t get it in time, trust is broken and your reputation is hurt. But, if you set proper communication expectations with your clients beforehand, a lot of stress and worry will be relieved on both sides.
Set these expectations with your client by developing a communication plan that will work for both of you. In this plan decide what form of communication is preferred (text, email, phone), what time of day is best to be contacted, how frequently they can expect to hear from you, and how long they should expect to wait before you get back to them.
It is important to remember to be flexible, and tailor your communication to what works best for your client and commit to it. If you don’t make them feel valued, they won’t give you their business.
Be Crystal Clear
There are a lot of moving parts in each real estate deal. Things can change in a moment’s notice—making it important to keep your client in the loop.
Different actions require different forms of communication. Certain important conversations are best to be had in person or over the phone and not through text or email.
Every industry has its own terms and jargon that can confuse those that aren’t familiar with it. Real estate is no exception. It is important to remember that when talking to your clients. Your goal should be to eliminate customer confusion and frustration. What seems like insignificant information to you may be important to your clients who are new to the real estate game. Make sure that their needs are being met.
Your Body Can Talk
A small portion of your communication is verbal. The language your body displays, especially when meeting with clients, can sometimes make or break a deal. Make sure that your body language matches what you are saying so that your clients don’t get mixed signals.
Remember to stand straight, make eye contact (but not be overbearing), smile, and if you don’t know what to do with your hands, bring something to hold like a clipboard or brochures on the property.
Gain trust with a client by imploring a popular communication tactic and mirror your client’s actions. Stand how they are standing, and talk at the same pace they talk. This will help them be more comfortable with you and quickly gain their trust.
Say 'No' to Social
It is best to avoid posting about your clients and communicating with them over social media. There are legal and privacy reasons why you shouldn’t, but it is best to avoid any potential issues at all and just not do it. Social media is a great place to find and obtain leads, but after you have a client’s personal contact information use that as your main form of communication.
