Marketing | ClientLinkt Blog

How to Provide Client Value After You Close

April 2, 2015 by quickblog

For any real estate agent, success depends on the ability to drive referrals and repeat business. The average agent receives 21% of their business from repeat clients, but agents in business 16+ years average 40% of their business from repeat clients and an additional 21% from referrals. However, since the average buyer stays in their home for 13 years, increasing repeat business and referrals from past clients isn’t easy. Agents need to provide real value long after they close. So just how do you deliver client value post close? Here’s our 6 tips for staying relevant and building client relationships.

Help Your Clients with Moving Day

You’ve closed the deal and popped the champagne! But while your work is done, your clients still face the stress of moving day. Help them out by connecting them with a great moving company, provide a moving day checklist, stop by on moving day to lend a hand or order takeout so they aren’t scrambling without a kitchen.

Share Your List of Trusted Service Providers

Finding trusted home professionals can be a challenge, especially for first-time buyers or people new to the area. Share your vendor network with clients to save them the hassle and help them find the professionals they need. Better still, make your list always accessible so clients can easily access it long after they move.

Alert Clients of Mortgage Rate Changes

While mortgage rates will be top of mind during the application process, after purchasing a home clients may not realize if rates have changed or if their fixed rate period is coming to an end. By alerting clients of mortgage rate changes, you can put more money in their pockets.

Send Market Updates

Keeping a pulse on the local market helps clients see the value of their home investment. Sending market updates – including price changes, recent neighborhood sales and market demand – keeps real estate top of mind, shows your expertise and can encourage clients to buy or sell again. It’s a definite must for providing value after you close.

Help Your Clients Out at Tax Time

Owning a home has significant tax benefits. At tax time, send clients info on tax deductions and credits for homeowners. You’ll help clients save money and reinforce the value of an investment in real estate.

Host Neighborhood Events

Whether you decide to host a client appreciation event, holiday party or fundraiser for a charitable organization – inviting clients to neighborhood events is a great way to grow your relationship. The face time is invaluable for staying top of mind. Plus, throwing a fundraiser shows that you’re involved in the community.

At the end of the day, providing real value goes beyond simple fridge magnets and holiday cards – it’s about increasing homeowner value and building lasting relationships with clients. How do you engage in post-close marketing?

How to Jump Start Your Real Estate Career

March 27, 2015March 30, 2015 by quickblog

Every year, thousands of eager new real estate agents enter the industry. But despite the lure of creating your own hours, selling million dollar listings and being your own boss – becoming a real estate agent is hard work. With the typical salary for first-year agents under $15,000, just surviving can be a struggle. So whether you’re coaching new agents, re-entering the industry or starting your career – here’s our advice for getting started as a real estate agent.

Find a Mentor or Coach

It’s important to start your career on the right foot. Find out what formal training/coaching options are available through your brokerage and associations, and take advantage of everything that’s available in your price range. More importantly, find a mentor that’s experienced in your local market. There’s nothing more valuable than seeing an experienced agent in action, plus they can help you learn the peculiarities of your local market. Make sure to look for a mentor that matches your learning style, and whose career you’d like to emulate. Offer to help them with open houses or marketing efforts – this can be a great way to learn from the best and get your your feet wet.

Learn Your Market

Study your local market to the point of exhaustion. Understand the key selling points and downsides of different areas – including neighborhood profiles, demographics, school info, taxes, public services and even average commute times. Learn market data on prices, average days on the market, number of homes for sale and pricing trends. Your local association will have historic market reports that will be invaluable.

Expand Your Professional Network

As a real estate agent, you’ll work with lawyers, appraisers, mortgage brokers, home stagers – the list goes on! See if your office has recommended providers, and start making contacts. Relationships with these professionals will help your clients through the buying or selling process – and get you to the closing table faster! Better yet, mortgage brokers, landscapers, painters and other home service professionals can be a great lead source. Curate a list of home service professionals that you can share with clients – it’s a great way to add value and differentiate yourself.

Get Your Marketing in Place

Building your brand and actively marketing yourself will always be part of your career as a real estate agent. When you start out, decide what your unique value is – how will you differentiate yourself from other agents? Get your headshots, design your slogan, handcraft a killer bio and get your logo in place. Then set up your website, lead capture system, blog, client newsletters and social media pages – and learn how to use them!

Start Building Your Client Base … Yesterday!

Building a client base can be the most difficult task for any new agent, but it’s definitely one of the key determinants of your success. First, let your friends, family, past colleagues, community connections, etc know that you’ve made a career change. Explain why you’re passionate about real estate, and ask if you can send them updates on market trends in their area. Get involved in your community, attend networking events, support local businesses, distribute your print advertising and get your name out there. Allocate time every day to building your client base and reaching out to your contacts – real estate agents in business 16+ years get over 60% of their business from repeat clients and referrals!

What advice do you wish you had when you started out? As a new agent, what’s the best advice you’ve received?

Building Your Real Estate Team

March 25, 2015March 26, 2015 by quickblog

In real estate, no man is an island. Whether we like it or not, as real estate agents we rely on various service providers to help us get to the closing table and ensure our clients are happy with the home buying or selling process. Therefore, establishing a strong professional network of lawyers, lenders, contractors, and other home service professionals can increase your productivity and help you become the agent of choice. Here’s how your professional network can catapult your career.

Securing Listings

Securing real estate listings is stressful for any agent, especially those working in highly competitive markets. In listing presentations, highlight your vendor network – including home stagers, landscapers, painters and other home service professionals that can get a home ready to market. This establishes your credibility and the benefits of choosing you as their listing agent.

Preparing Buyers

Home buyers – especially first-time buyers – likely don’t have a mortgage broker, real estate lawyer, appraiser or moving company. Connect home buyers with these professionals to help them with every step of the process and ensure their dream of home ownership becomes a reality. Plus, this way you won’t get stalled when clients are ready to submit an offer.

Getting Homes Ready to List

If you want to reduce your closing time (and who doesn’t???), getting homes ready to list quickly is key. Great relationships with painters, landscapers and other home service providers will get your listings ready to sell. Better yet, home service professionals love working with real estate agents because it’s a great lead source.

Homeowner Satisfaction

As a real estate agent, your job doesn’t end when the purchase agreement has been signed. Homeowner satisfaction is key for securing repeat clients and referrals. Share your vendor network with past clients so they can access trusted home service providers that you’ve vetted. Better yet, let your past clients know of deals and specials that these painters, landscapers or home decorators are offering. This provides new value after you close and increases home value for past clients.

At the end of the day, a strong network should be based on business relationships that benefit all parties. How do you build your real estate team?

To share your vendor network with current & past clients via your own branded mobile app, visit www.clientlinkt.com

Your Referral Blind Spot

March 20, 2015March 20, 2015 by quickblog

Like any real estate agent, you’re constantly searching for new leads and better prospecting methods to grow your business. For most agents, driving referrals from past clients is a key strategy – since 42% of home buyers find their agent through a referral from a friend or family member. But what if you could tap into a new referral source that sends you high quality leads?

Any agent would quickly jump at the possibility. So what’s this untapped referral source? Your network of trusted service providers and local businesses.

As a real estate agent, you have an intricate web of professional contacts to deliver great service to your clients and make the buying or selling process as smooth as possible. While your team of vendors can help you secure listings and get clients ready to purchase, they’re also an untapped source for referrals.These professionals include everyone from mortgage brokers, financial advisors, lawyers, contractors, home decorators and landscapers.

Think about it – you regularly refer clients to these professionals, but are you working with them to have referrals sent your way? You should be educating your professional contacts about the types of clients you work with and letting them know how they can benefit by sending clients your way.

Here’s how some of these professionals can become your most valued lead source:

General contractors, painters & handymen that prepare clients’ homes for sale
Financial advisers that help clients plan for a home purchase
Mortgage brokers & lenders that work with savvy homebuyers getting pre-approved before shopping
Property managers that know landlords planning to sell

To really capture referrals from your professional network, remember that they won’t just happen automatically. First, make sure you engage with your contacts regularly so you aren’t forgotten – think about your initiatives for staying in touch with past clients. Then, when you receive referrals from your professional network make sure to keep them updated on sale progress and what’s going on – remember that the client was theirs first. At the end of the day, remember that you get what you give. Sending business two-ways makes for a stronger networking relationship and will help deliver superior service to clients.

If you’re interested in strengthening your professional network, check out QuickLinkt’s referral management tools for real estate agents or share your professional network with past clients via your own branded mobile app with ClientLinkt.

Driving Referrals from Past Clients

March 18, 2015 by quickblog

Real estate agents are constantly looking for better marketing strategies to drive leads. They’ll experiment with everything from Zillow, Craig’s List, FSBO, social media, AdWords, mail outs – the list goes on. But any real estate agent knows that their best lead source is their current client base. For agents to in business 16+ years, 40% of their business comes from repeat clients and another 21% comes from referrals.

But driving referrals and repeat business means staying top of mind with past clients.

So how do you stay connected?? Most successful agents have realized the importance of creating multiple touch points. Whether the strategy is formal or not, this can include:

a closing gift
home anniversary cards
email newsletters
invites to community events
holiday cards

The reasoning behind these touch points is that the more contact between an agent and past clients, the more likely past clients are to become repeat clients and send referrals the agent’s way.

While staying connected is the first step, real estate agents need to go beyond simple communication. Think about it – how many emails do you receive from businesses, community groups & politicians vying for your attention??? Marketers send over 838 million emails every year – meaning it’s only getting more difficult to get your messages heard.

Therefore, you need more than just regular contact – you need to stay relevant and provide real value after the sale. Don’t think of your relationship with clients as simply buying and selling property – as a real estate agent you have a vast knowledge base on everything real estate related including market trends, decorating, landscaping, mortgages, community events and home maintenance. This is where you can provide real value to clients long after the sale to drive referrals and repeat business.

When you send past client newsletters or check-in, share your knowledge. Provide home maintenance tips, advice on landscaping or secrets to getting great curb appeal.

Better still, do you have a list of quality service providers and local businesses? Share your contact book with past clients so they can access trusted home professionals anytime. With ClientLinkt by QuickLint, you can share your list of vendors and local businesses with past clients via your own branded mobile app. Clients can access your list of preferred providers anytime – meaning you’re constantly offering real value long after the sale. Better still, you’re able to build your brand by having a constant presence on past clients’ Smartphone.

If you’d like to learn more about ClientLinkt visit www.clientlinkt.com or contact sales@quicklinkt.com .

Social Media for Real Estate Agents

March 12, 2015March 13, 2015 by quickblog

For real estate agents, social media can be a powerful lead source and channel for staying top of mind after the sale. The downsides – for a lot of agents social media can have little ROI and feel like a big time waster. So, if you’re wanting to grow your following, here’s your to-do list for being successful on social media.

Make a Plan

If you want to get serious about driving leads on social media, create a clear plan of action for your social media strategy. First outline what your goals are and the initiatives you’ll use to get there. Create a content calendar for what you’ll post and use scheduling tools to schedule the dates and times that your posts will go out. This can help with time management and ensure that you post regularly to keep your followers engaged. While both Facebook and Twitter have their own scheduling tools, you can also use scheduling tools like Hootsuite and Buffer.

Be Personal

Remember that social media is about being sociable. Use your bio to show your personality and highlight your expertise, infuse your posts with your style, and respond to questions & comments with a personal touch. Remember, your online and offline personality should be consistent.

Integrate with Other Channels

To get the biggest return from your social media efforts, your social media strategies should integrate with your other marketing channels. First, keep consistent branding between channels. This includes your images, value prop and branding. Make sure to include links to your social media channels on your website, email signature, newsletters & print advertising to grow your following and have more touch points with clients.

Help First, Sell Later

Social media is not the place for the hard sell. Instead, it’s the place for generating leads, engaging with potentials and keeping in touch with past clients. Keeping this in mind, don’t just post about your upcoming open house or the deal you just closed. Also offer advice for both your potentials and past clients – articles could include home selling tips, steps to secure a mortgage, checklists for first-time buyers, home maintenance advice, and decorating ideas for holidays. Make sure to always answers questions posted by your followers – this shows that you’re genuine.

Use Great Visuals

A picture is worth a thousands words, and on social media this definitely rings true. On Twitter, posts with an image receive 35% more retweets. Facebook posts with images receive more than twice as many comments than those without. As a real estate agent, you should also consider using Instragram and Pinterest – these visual sites are great for showcasing your listings or showing the homes you’ve helped your clients purchase. Remember that each social media site has their own image guidelines – check out this great cheat sheet on images requirements.

Expand Your Reach

When you feel comfortable with your social media strategy, make sure to experiment with promoted advertising on social media. Ads on Facebook have much lower CPM and CPCs than Google AdWords, so they’re a great option for online marketing on a budget. Targeting options on Facebook allow you to promote your posts based on geographic and demographic data. For example, if you largely work with first-time buyers you could use Facebook to target married couples, between 25-35 in specific zip codes.

Measure Success

Evaluate your social media efforts and results to determine what works for you. Track post likes, comments and shares to see what your following is most interested in – then tailor your content accordingly. Make sure you’re also tracking your lead sources and conversion rates to determine your ROI – most CRMs should have this functionality and you can also setup conversion tracking in Google Analytics.

At the end of the day, remember that social media is long term strategy – so don’t be discouraged when it takes time to build your following. Be consistent with your efforts, refine your strategy and measure your growth.

Lead Generation for Real Estate Agents

March 11, 2015March 12, 2015 by quickblog

Real estate agents are constantly inundated with new marketing ideas to grow their client list. With so many options available – from print, to portals, to social media – agents are left to question what the best strategy really is. Despite all of the new marketing and advertising channels, an agent’s sphere of influence is still the best source for high quality leads. So if you’re wanting to grow your client list but not sure where to start, here’s our list of 10 stats that prove why you should be marketing to your sphere of influence to drive repeat business and referrals.

So if you’re considering a new real estate marketing initiative, focus first on your existing client base. Stay in touch, keep top of mind and ask for referrals!

The Truth About Millennial Home Buyers

March 4, 2015March 4, 2015 by quickblog

Millennials have been slow to enter the housing market: home ownership among 18-34 year olds is the lowest it’s been since the US Census Bureau began measuring data in 1982. But with a more favorable lending environment, rising rental prices and desires for home ownership, millennials are set to be the largest home-buying group in 2015.

For real estate agents, mortgage brokers, home builders and others in the real estate industry, working with millennials will be key for success in the coming years. So, here’s our tips for wooing the 80 million millenials.

1.They Don’t Trust Traditional Advertising

If you want to attract millennials, forget billboards and mailouts. According to a new study released by Elite Daily, 33% of millennials choose blogs as their main media source. Less than 3% agree that television news, books and magazines influence their purchasing decisions, and only 1% say that a great advertisement makes them trust a brand. To appeal to millennials opt for blogs, social media, online review sites & a really great website over print, radio or out-of-home.

2. They’re Educated

When you begin to work with a milllennial buyer, expect them to be well-researched – they’ll very likely come to you with a list of properties they’re interested in. Since millennials don’t trust traditional media, they’ll spend significant time educating themselves to make good purchase decisions. They’re used to researching online, so don’t expect a millennial buyer to take the back seat. On average, a millennial that’s a first-time buyer will search online for 3 weeks prior to contacting an agent.

3. They’re Connected

87% of millennials use two or three tech devices on a daily basis. This means agents should be using multiple platforms and communication tools to connect with these buyers. Make sure your website is mobile & tablet friendly, and that your emails can be easily opened on mobile devices.

4. They Need Your Help

Since the vast majority of millennials are first-time buyers, they likely don’t have a mortgage broker, lawyer, home appraiser, contractor or moving company that they trust. As their agent, you can guide the buying process and make it stress free by connecting them with a great team. You’ll not only impress your client by providing awesome service, but you’ll also get to the closing table faster and strengthen your vendor network.

5. They’re Loyal

Because millennials like to research and shop around before making a decision, when they connect with a brand they’re very loyal. 89% of millennial home buyers say they would probably or definitely use their agent again or recommend their agent to others. This means that giving awesome service to millenials leads to a steady stream of referrals and repeat business.

Strengthening Your Professional Network

February 25, 2015February 27, 2015 by quickblog

Any successful real estate agent knows that their job goes beyond processing a transaction – it’s guiding clients through the entire buying & selling cycle. A real estate agent must answer complicated legal questions, give advice on schools, ensure clients get pre-approved, arrange home appraisals, bring in contractors and even make move in day stress free. This long list of responsibilities impacts a client’s experience, and ultimately an agent’s success rate.

The truth is that buying or selling a home is a team effort. Real estate agents have an intricate web of business connections that they work with – like lawyers, mortgage brokers, appraisers and moving companies. Ultimately, the value of these service providers impacts client satisfaction and gets agents to the closing table. The real estate agent is the connection between each service provider and the client – they’re the center of the relationship and the driving force that ensures buyers and sellers are successful.

For real estate agents, this means that strengthening your professional referral network is critical for becoming a top producer.

Now, imagine you’re a buyers agent. You’ve just met Jenny & Jon – a recently married couple looking to buy their first home.

First things first – they haven’t been pre-approved for a mortgage. You refer them to Ben – your trusted mortgage broker that specializes in working with first-time buyers. Before you can even start to help Jenny & Jon find a home, your referral to Ben ensures your clients can afford a home and that you’re looking in the right price range.

Ben gets back to you – they’ve been pre-approved. Great! The first house you show them is a modern 4 bedroom. It mainly fits their wish list, but Jon & Jenny don’t love the location. Next, you tour a house that’s in their desired area but needs significant work. To get a better idea of the reno costs, you recommend touring the house with your trusted contractor. After he discusses the work that’s needed, Jenny & Jon decide it’s too much.

You then find a home that you think might be just right for Jenny & Jon – it has good commuter routes and only needs a few small repairs. Jenny & Jon love it. Time to make an offer! You refer Jenny & Jon to your home inspector and put them in touch with a real estate lawyer. The house passes the inspection and Jenny & Jon’s offer is accepted! With the stress of buying a home, they really appreciate you guiding them every step of the way. Turns out, they hire the contractor that you introduced them to to renovate the basement on their new home.

As the story of Jenny & Jon shows, a strong professional network enhances any client’s experience and supports your job as a real estate agent. It’s these relationships that get you to the closing table, ensure every aspect of the real estate transaction is taken care of and leads to more referrals. How do you manage referrals with your vendor network??

How to Drive Referrals & Repeat Business

February 20, 2015 by quickblog

Developing & nurturing leads are key skills for any real estate agent. But, the truth is that the majority of an agent’s leads come from their existing client base – 42% of home buyers find their agent based on a referral from a friend or family member and 12% used the agent previously.

Agents that can capitalize on their current client base reap the benefits. First, they’re able to scale marketing efforts quickly and can reduce time & money spent on advertising. They also have better conversion rates since referred clients are less likely to shop around for an agent. However, growing referrals and repeat business doesn’t happen automatically. So, if you’re wanting to spend less time cold calling, here’s our top tips for driving leads from your current client base.

1. Thank Clients Personally

After you finish working with a client, whether the deal was successful or not, thank them and let them know you appreciate their business. If the deal was successful, send a personalized letter and closing gift – like a gift certificate to a local restaurant near their new home.

2. Stay in Touch with Newsletters

Stay top of mind after deals have closed with regular communication. Remember, you shouldn’t be selling new homes to clients that have recently purchased. Instead offer home maintenance advice, news about local events & attractions, or details about the local real estate market – it’s reassuring for recent buyers to hear that their purchase was a sound financial decision.

3. Check In

If you want past clients to refer you to their friends and family, personally check-in with them after the deal has closed. Keep in touch around move-in day, anniversaries of their home purchase/sale and holidays. Sending a card for the anniversary of their closing shows you’re invested in each client and were attentive when you worked together.

4. Connect on Social Media

Your social media presence is great for staying in touch with past clients. To save time, schedule posts for the upcoming week during a slow morning – this way you won’t feel so overwhelmed with social.

5. Make Referrals Easy

As great of an agent as you are, referrals won’t just automatically roll in. Despite 83% of past clients stating that they’re willing to make a referral only 29% actually follow through. Remind past clients in your digital and print communications that you appreciate referrals. Then, make it simple for them to send a referral by adding referral forms to your website and Facebook page.

How do you win repeat business and referrals???