By Debbie Yost
We could not run our businesses effectively without the use of systems. Anything that you do more than once can be turned into a system, so you don’t have to recreate the wheel—or the form, or the process—each time you need it. One of the reasons that many REALTORS® choose our industry is the ability to set their own schedules and to do business in the manner they choose. I frequently hear that a REALTOR®’s success comes from their “personal service.” I believe that using systems allows you to give even better personal service.
I call those special things we do to delight our clients our “secret sauce.” Systems free you to concentrate on delivering the exceptional service our clients enjoy while traversing through the stress of a real estate purchase or sale.
My favorite CRS class to teach is “Systems Will Set You Free.” It offers agents dozens of ways to systematize processes in their business. Let’s talk about just one of them: managing referrals.
To encourage past clients and those in your sphere of influence to send you referrals, you must stay top of mind. In a recent survey, 90% of clients expressed satisfaction with their agent, stating they would use them again and refer them to friends and family. Yet one year later, only 28% of those same clients—who were completely satisfied with their REALTOR®—could even recall their agent’s name.
Poor communication is one of the biggest complaints about REALTORS®. In the systems class we help create a 33-touch program with 33 communications over the course of a year. This may seem daunting, but here are a few ways to create regularity with your efforts:
Check in with clients the day after closing. This can be quick. “I know you’re very busy. I simply wanted to check in and see if there is anything I can do for you.” Continue to check in again a week or so later and at least quarterly thereafter.
Send out a monthly newsletter. These are available from NAR and can be customized. Many brokers provide them, and there are many templates available for purchase through various vendors. RRC provides a newsletter bi-monthly for CRS Designees.
Provide a monthly home valuation tool. Why would we want our clients to seek out an estimate of their home’s value using third-party sites? We use an artificial intelligence tool called Homebot.ai, and it allows you to fine-tune the value before you send the first report. The monthly report offers many tools and calculators for the homeowner’s use. Investors especially love this tool. It’s not going to be as precise as a REALTOR® doing a market evaluation after a physical inspection, and it’s important to discuss this with the client before you send their first report. None of the other online valuation tools can be as precise as an in-person evaluation either, and homeowners still seek those online valuations. Why are we allowing our clients to search online for this information when we can deliver it to their phone or desktop monthly at a very reasonable price?
Those few steps create 24 touches, and then you can fill in with birthday cards, home anniversary cards for a purchase or sale, messages on holidays or special client events, and you will have 33 touches.
The class offers a system for REALTOR® referrals, as well. I’m sure we’ve all had the experience of sending a referral to someone and then learning from the client that their home purchase or sale closed, and not only have we not had any communication from the receiving agent but we’ve never received a referral check either. Don’t be that agent! It’s very simple to create a system for keeping the referring agent informed of the progress, the anticipated closing date and let them know when to expect their check.
We discuss so many different systems in this class, from creating a time-blocked schedule to systems for obtaining five-star reviews to effective listing and transaction management plans.
Putting these systems in place will help you stay top of mind with the people who can direct new business your way.
Check out CRS.com/catalogsearch to see all of Yost’s previous and upcoming education offerings on systems.
Photo: Debbie Yost
