Who do you call when looking
for a Doctor?
Think about it. How did you select your Doctor or Surgeon? How did you select your CPA or Attorney? What about your Plumber or Hairdresser? Usually from asking close friends who they use, right? You want to make sure that they are good from personal experiences and not from the ads you saw in the yellow pages, etc.
The same thing happens in Real Estate. I don't know the statistics on this but my guess is that it happens more than the others because, most people don't know much about these transactions because they only happen once or twice in a lifetime.
People probably call someone they know that recently bought or sold a house to find out what they thought about their Realtor or they ask someone they trust that may know like their CPA, Attorney, etc.
This is why the good agents that have been in the business the longest are doing so well. It's through direct referrals that they get from past clients and other service providers. The ones that are getting the most from this are the ones that stay in contact with their past clients and network with other service providers on a regular basis.
Here are a few ideas I think will really help you develop this marketing strategy.
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Treat your clients with respect with professional and friendly service. Keep them well informed at all times.
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Ask them for a reference letter after closing. This is very valuable in building a good presentation binder and in helping your clients think about how good you were throughout the transaction.
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Stay in touch with them on a regular basis with holiday cards and birthday cards.
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Stay in touch with other service providers that are likely to get asked if they know a good realtor too.
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Finally, call your past clients at least annually to chat about THEM and not YOU. People love to talk about themselves if you will pause and let them do it and this really helps your rapport with them. But, always end the conversation with some good information about the market and ask if they know anybody that might be entering the market soon!
Then, your past clients will give you some referrals and they will remember you more and they will be out singing your praises.
Think of them as your little army of PR specialists!
Also, when your clients need a great mortgage guy, don't forget about me! If you refer them to me, I'll do everything I can to help them with professional and courteous service and I'll promote you too!
Senior Mortgage Advisor
PHH Mortgage - 843-230-7929
Senior Advisor - Helping you GROW your business!
www.activerain.com./luckydog1 - SC
www.activerain.com/luckydog2 - NC
http://samthompson.phhmortgage.com/
Sam: I must be lucky. I get a lot of referrals and people wanting to do business with me. I like your thoughts above. Client contact and communication is paramount. Have a great day!