“If people like you they will listen to you, but if they trust you they’ll do business with you.” – Zig Ziglar
This quote explains it all!
It doesn’t matter how low your fees are if you cannot win trust you simply will not get the business.
If you’re a higher charging agent and you miss out on the business to another agent, chances are that the cheaper agent won the client’s trust more than you!
In real estate – as in any business transaction, trust is an absolute must!
Therefore, to win the prospective client’s trust and get their business, always be looking for ways to build trust.
Here are ten keys to assist you to win business with prospective clients:
Return the call!
Our secret fee shopper recently called over 500 offices in Texas, USA and reported a concerning fact, and that is when a message was left on a message bank or with reception, up to 50% of the offices failed to return the phone call when we presented as a potential client! In Australia the results are not as bad, however, they’re still not acceptable!
Ensure your office has a system in place to return calls promptly when a potential client (a lead) leaves a message. You might win the business just by doing this, but if you fail to return the call you’ll break their trust!
Know your stuff!
Make sure you know the market in relation to what rents are doing right now including what types of property will get what rental return. Know your vacancy rates. Always know what you’re talking about. The more they believe you’re an expert in the market, the more they will trust you with their business.
Make sure you look the part!
Your presentation speaks volumes and when you don’t look professional, you lose their trust as they think you do not have the ability to service their needs. Cover-up tattoos, don’t have ‘radical’ piercings, ensure your clothes are professional, your hair clean and neat and shoes polished. Here’s the rule when deciding how to dress. What does your ideal client look like, and dress one level better than that!
Clean your car!
If you are professing to ensure you’ll stay on top of tenants with property cleanliness, you need to prove this with your car too! Drive to the house in a dirty car and they won’t believe you are qualified to stay on top of a tenant regarding cleanliness. Presentation issues can breach trust. Don’t park in their driveway either as this kind of familiarity is also a breach of trust!
Email information prior
Build trust by emailing them some agency information upfront, some links to more information on your website or just a ‘thank you’ for their call and confirmation of the listing appointment. If the other agent hasn’t also done this, guess who already has more trust!
Be real and build rapport!
People like dealing with people they like! And people like dealing with a real person who genuinely likes them. Ensure you are warm, friendly and not fake. Leave any bad attitudes or your bad day in the car.
People also like talking about themselves, so look for topics to get them talking.
Kids, sports, pets, hobbies, the weather, whatever! Just get them talking about their interests, and they’ll like you faster!
Walkthrough the property with them.
Take a good look at the property, and show genuine interest in what they have.
Make sure you ask questions and never criticise what they’ve got. This will break trust fast!
Take photos as you walk through, but most importantly, start to get to know the client and what needs they have as to why they need a property manager.
Get to know their problem!
There’s a key reason that you are on the property and they have not chosen to manage it themselves. Your job is to find out what their concern or issue is by asking questions and listening.
It might be that they fear the tenant from hell! They may be concerned their mortgage might not be paid. You need to find out!
To get an honest answer trust must exist first, and this is done by building rapport.
Once you know their problem, you now know what you need to focus on to answer and win their trust and business.
Present using a Listing Kit!
I see a pattern! The more experience a property manager or BDM has, the less they present their services using a visual listing kit.
The listing kit is simple. It has examples of what your agency does, from an Ingoing Inspection/PCR example to an Application Form, right through to a Routine Inspection example.
It’s always a ‘show and tells’ as people will remember more of what they see than by what they only hear! And if they remember your professionalism the most, you’ll have their trust more than any other agency.
Follow-up after the appointment!
Very few agents follow up with the client after a first meeting or listing presentation. People don’t decide to go ahead at that first meeting for a number of reasons, but if the prospective client knows you have followed up and care about them and their needs, guess who they’ll trust and remember more when it comes to a business decision.
The best trust pays the best money!
In closing, take a good look at the top performers in real estate sales whether in your agency or in the local area. These are the people that earn the most commission.
One thing that is obvious with all of them is their ability to win the trust of a prospective client quickly. They are warm, friendly, and genuinely care for their clients!
People like to deal with those they like. You can be the best agent in town, but if the prospective client doesn’t like you, they will not do business with you!
Be a trust builder with all your prospective clients.
Because trust simply means doing business!