Marte Cliff
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A good past is the best thing a person
can use for a future reference...
Dear Friend,
It's true in real estate as it is in life. What people say about you has a lot to do with your future success, and usually what they say about you is a direct result of how you've treated them.
I say "usually" because we all know about the people who haven't got a good thing to say about anyone. Luckily, we know who they are and most of us pay no attention to them.
Your reputation and the word of mouth advertising (good or bad) that it creates is important with prospective buyers and sellers. But don't forget about your reputation with competing agents and with lenders.
If you've been selling real estate for any length of time, you've had the displeasure of working with another agent who was less than helpful, or who came right out and tried to sabotage you!
If you've been an investor or a FSBO seller for long, you've also run into a stinker or two along the way. Maybe they told your prospect that your house had hidden faults as a way to pull them back over to buy one of their listings. Maybe they told your prospect that it was dangerous to transact real estate without a Realtor. Maybe they were just plain rude.
I recall one agent who used to ask to show my listings. Of course I was always happy to let her - until sellers started calling to complain about the notes she left behind. They said things like "When you want a better agent, call me." Who knows what she said to the ones who were home when she got there.
I soon learned to accompany that agent when she showed my listings, but I wasn't happy about not being able to trust her.
Other agents who make life difficult are the ones who want you to sell their listings, but who refuse to do any of the work. Work like getting the rest of the details they ignored when they took the listing: "Where is the septic tank? How many gallons per minute does the well pump? Who are these other people whose names are on title?"
Those agents make you do the work for both sides of the transaction.
What's the result? You avoid them if at all possible. When there are 4 listings that might suit your buyers and one is theirs, you show the other 3 and hope they choose one of them - showing that agent's listing only when you run out of other options.
Of course, agents on either side of a transaction can make life difficult just by failing to return phone calls or dragging their feet about getting their own clients to respond to offers and counter-offers.
Lazy lenders can complicate life, too. I recall one I used years ago whose excuse for never returning my calls was that he "Had 20 voice mail messages when I got back from lunch." I wonder why? Probably because everyone wanted to know when their loan would finally close!
One transaction with that turkey was more than enough.
Marte, I know that you are not the kind of agent who would do any of those things. If you were, you wouldn't be bothering to read an ezine about improving your real estate business.
Part of this message is a warning not to bad mouth them, as tempting as it is. No matter how true the statements, when you do, it makes you look bad and erodes your own reputation.
Next, do take a look at how you treat other Realtors. (If you're a FSBO seller, take a look at how you treat Realtors in general.) Then consider how you treat mortgage lenders.
Do you put off returning their calls because you're busy? Do you brush them off because you don't want or need their help? Do you sometimes let them know that you're irritated with them?
Don't. This year, make it your business to be so pleasant to Realtors and lenders that they can't help but say nice things about you. When you do, you turn them into valuable marketing tools. Do more than your share when you cooperate on a sale. Help the lenders gather all the information they need quickly. And stifle the urge to call up and scream when one of them does something really obnoxious!
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Jump-start your sales this year by reading Getting Clients , the ebook designed by former real estate broker Marte Cliff to help you choose your niche and create the marketing messages that will transform you from "one in a million Realtors working in the U.S." to "The one in a million" who is most in demand.
At $19.95, Getting Clients is one of the best investments you can make in your career - and costs less than a typical closing gift. PLUS your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you don't agree that it will help you close more sales this year, simply ask for a refund and it will be given. (That is my personal guarantee.) Click here to learn more.
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Force other Realtors to choose your listings to show...
When you make life easy for them, competing Realtors will choose your listings to show before all others. And why wouldn't they? When others are being difficult and you're being helpful?
And, when you have a reputation for dependability, Realtors in different niche markets will send a clients your way. Because they know that they can count on you, they'll do so gladly. After all, when you refer someone, you put your own reputation on the line. We're all careful about making referrals.
As a FSBO seller, you may want help from a Realtor some day. Make sure they all like you!
Then consider lenders... Many of them are in a position to refer buyers and sellers. You know they'll send them to the agent or FSBO who cooperates and makes their work easier in every way.
I get annoyed with the saying "Give 110%," but in this case, it's good advice. If you do all of your work and help out a little with theirs, you'll be known as the agent other agents and lenders want to work with.
By now you've got your real estate marketing plan for the year in place, right? If not, give me a call and I'll help you get the ball rolling.
At the very least, you need to know which buyers and sellers you'll target this year. And at the very best, you'll get your letters and postcards planned and written now - so when the busy season hits you'll be ready to present yourself as the professional, "One in a Million" whom people want to call.
Yours for success,
Marte
Marte Cliff, Copywriter to the Real Estate Industry
writer@marte-cliff.com
www.marte-cliff.com
208-448-1479
I specialize in making people happy to give you money for your exceptional service!
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