Our thoughts and prayers are with those battling COVID-19 and our brave healthcare workers on the front lines every day. We are all going through a difficult time due to the global pandemic, and it has been heartwarming to see citizens of the world come together and rally in support during this crisis.
As real estate agents, our business changed overnight from one that was focused on human connection to one that’s now completely virtual. Yet, it is important to remember that people are still experiencing life-altering circumstances and need to buy, sell and lease. There are ways to help grow our business. Here are three ways we’ve been servicing our existing clients and garnering new ones during this time.
Team unity
First and foremost, it’s important to keep the team strong and spirits up and to remain on task. Without a strong foundation, you won’t be able to serve clients to the best of your ability — let alone take on more. We’re a small but mighty team, and we’re very close. Not seeing each other every day as we normally do has been hard, but we’re still in constant communication.
We’ve held biweekly Zoom meetings to brainstorm current tasks at hand, set goals and create plans for the future. These meetings have become a fun and productive way to connect. While it won’t replace our in-person meetings, it’s the next best thing. We are truly grateful that we’re still able to remain connected.
Communicating with clients
As the situation evolves daily, we’ve been communicating with our clients about all the changes to our business, market conditions and how we can help serve their needs. There’s so much uncertainty in regards to what services remain available during this time, so we’ve found that our messages alerting them that we’re still able to help have been very well-received. In fact, we’ve had a number of clients pass along our information to their friends and family who are in need of an agent.
During this time, communication is key. We have been placing personal phone calls and emails to our clients as well as sharing a weekly newsletter which goes to all of our contacts, inclusive of clients and other agents. In this newsletter, we provide an update on our activities, share helpful information and resources and feature a property with a virtual tour or video.
Staying social
Another very effective and easy to use tool for communication for us has been social media. It’s a great way to connect with clients and also let the world know that we’re open for business and here to help. We’ve had fantastic responses when utilizing the live feature on Instagram. We’ve conducted live showings and tours, as well as interviews with other agents and leading industry professionals.
We even conducted a live interview with a doctor providing care to COVID-19 patients. All segments include a Q&A feature so we can engage with viewers in real time. This has really helped us connect with our audience and allowed them to get to know us on a more personal level.
We’re keeping our thoughts with those impacted by the virus. As we stay safely at home, the three initiatives above have really helped us prospect and move forward. By keeping our spirits high and shifting our focus, we’re ensuring that our team is connected and able to provide clients with best-in-class service.
Communicating with clients, being more active on social media and delivering creative and useful content to our audience has also allowed us to expand our network and client base. While we eagerly await to return to normal, we know that if we use our time wisely, we will all get through this as a team together.
David Parnes is a director at The Agency in Los Angeles. Connect with him on Instagram. James Harris is a director at The Agency in Los Angeles. Connect with him on Instagram.
