By After following coverage of the recent Inman Connect conference in Las Vegas, the topic of staying relevant as the real estate industry changes, stuck with me. One panel discussed how industry change will lead to fewer agents. Those agents who figure out how to make the buying process easier, help reduce client confusion, and add more value after closing will thrive. Let's look at how you can make a lasting impression, during and after the transaction, to attract repeat clients and referrals as the industry goes through massive change.
When it comes to making a lasting impression on clients, consider what you can do to make it easier for them before closing and after the sale. Start by looking at the amount of paperwork associated with buying a home and how confusing it is for first-time home buyers. Create an email or text campaign to automatically send tips explaining what goes on at closing and the various closing documents they will need to sign. If you can make the experience less painful for your clients by educating them, they're going to be more likely to refer you to friends.
The following ideas could be included in your pre-closing email or text campaign to help clients get a better understanding of the closing process (create a different one for repeat buyers):
- Will the seller be attending the closing? Their real estate agent? You?
- What's included in a closing disclosure? When will they receive it?
- When will they sign the mortgage loan documents?
- At closing, can changes still be made to the transaction?
- When is the final walk-through and why is it important?
- What should they bring to the closing?
- What's the difference between a mortgage note and deed of trust?
- When will they receive the keys to their new home?
Consider contacting your clients a week after they've moved into their new home, asking if they've run into any obstacles. These issue can be used to build a new homeowner nurturing campaign. Think about this campaign as a way to provide solutions to issues or problems that haven't happened yet.
- Storage solutions (ex. kitchen cabinets, large closets, laundry rooms)
- Hiring a handyman
- Estimated cost to repair common issues (leaky sink, moldy shower, HVAC, etc.)
- Choosing a carpet cleaning company or floor refinisher
- Getting an energy audit
- Natural disaster insurance
- Photograph valuables for insurance purposes
- Pest control
Let's say you give your clients information packets after closing, which includes information about homeowners insurance. The day after they move in, go above and beyond by texting or emailing a digital form or suggesting an app they can use to document their valuables as they're unpacking them. A few weeks later, you could followup and remind them to add any new furniture to their list. If they lost some of their belongings in a fire, but were able to provide their insurance company with photos and proof of the purchase, who do you think they're going to thank? You (and the insurance company).
42% of consumers say they rarely receive relevant content. - YES Marketing
As the years roll on, provide timely information to help your clients continually master the art of homeownership. The following topics will help keep your brand top-of-mind and will likely be shared with others:
- Refinancing
- Switching from a 30-year mortgage to a 15-year mortgage
- Using equity
- When to replace appliances
- Switching to a tankless water heater
- When to replace a furnace
Conclusion
Stay relevant as a real estate agent, after closing, by setting up a text or email campaign to nurture clients for years to come. Instead of merely giving clients a packet of information at closing, which might be discarded after a short period of time, gradually provide information over the long haul to make a greater, long-lasting impact. Provide educational and problem solving information -- the kind of information they will want to pass along to their friends. Nurturing campaigns will help you stay relevant and continually grow your business by generating repeat buyers and attracting referrals.
