Closing is a lousy term — especially in real estate. Referrals and repeat business are your lifeblood. The last thing you want to do is close up that relationship. In fact, this is the perfect time to open the door to future business.
So before you move your attention to your next client, be sure to do these three things.
1. Show your appreciation
Want a simple but powerful way to emotionally connect with your clients? Write a personal thank-you note. Or drop off a housewarming gift. It doesn’t have to be expensive. The act is the important thing.
Why?
After a transaction is officially over, most clients don’t expect anything from you. You already got paid. So your thoughtfulness is unexpected and sincere in their minds and hearts.
2. Ask for a review and referrals
There might be no better time to get reviews and referrals than right after closing. Think about it. If you did your job, then your clients are happy. Most will be glad to help you out.
All the assistance and service you provided is fresh in their minds. This timing leads to more compelling reviews because they can provide specific information like, “She worked around our schedule, even when it meant giving up her nights and weekends.” Isn’t that more convincing than, “She is a great real estate agent” or some similar generic praise?
Those details can help you get more referrals, too. Normally clients will just think about whether they know someone who is looking for a real estate agent. But if they just went through the experience, they might think of people going through the same things that motivated them to buy or sell.
For example, if you just helped your clients upgrade to a bigger house to make room for a new addition to the family, they might think, “Bob and Nancy are expecting, too. Maybe they can use more space.”
3. Make a plan for staying in touch
You’ve probably seen the statistic that 70 percent of clients forget the name of their agent after one year. You need to keep in touch constantly if you don’t want that to happen to you.
You know that. Every agent probably knows that. But are you doing it?
It’s easy to tell yourself you’re going to stay in touch. Then you get busy. You forget. And by the time it occurs to you, so much time has passed that even the thought of calling is awkward.
The easiest way to avoid this scenario is to formulate a plan right from the start. Try coming up with a loose schedule. For instance, you could decide you’re going to send a custom magazine every two months, make one follow-up call every two months, share five social media posts a month and four emails a month.
Just make sure to remain flexible. If you have a great opportunity to reach out and strengthen the relationship, go for it, even if it doesn’t fit in your plan.
It all starts at the close.
Sean Kirby is copywriter for ReminderMedia, a relationship marketing company that helps businesses solidify their key relationships and generate repeat and referral clients. Follow them on Twitter and connect on Facebook.
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