Although it certainly would be memorable, impressing your potential homebuying clients doesn’t have to include picking them up in a Bentley or giving them neighborhood tours via helicopter. Instead, you want your clients to think, “Wow, John was really being sincere when he advised us not to buy that expensive house because it needed more restoration than we were ready for.” This type of genuine thoughtfulness shows clients that you’re thinking of their best interests — and not just your own bottom line.
Today’s homebuying clients have a growing arsenal of tools to help them choose an agent and find the homes they’re interested in. “Wowing” your homebuying clients means standing out in a sea of real estate professionals by sharing the type of advice and guidance you’d give your own friends and family and providing insight that only a true expert can.
Here are four ways to stand out and wow your potential homebuying clients:
1. Be a local-market data master
Any real estate agent with a computer can print MLS sheets and rattle off the statistics they quickly memorized before a showing. (Thanks to a wealth of consumer-based real estate technologies, so can your clients.) However, real, in-depth market insights are the ones that truly impress a potential homebuyer.
Being a true neighborhood expert means knowing the ins and outs of neighborhood sales activity: how long the yellow house down the street has been listed; when the house with the pool had a price reduction; and how the average price for a three-bedroom home with a view has changed in the last three months.
To acquire this knowledge, study new listings and changes to the MLS daily. Attend open houses and ask questions. Use technologies that help keep the market forefront in your mind. Staying on top of the market will give you the data-based insights needed to wow your clients.
2. Be part mayor, part tour guide
Sales data are one thing, but to really impress your potential homebuying clients, show them an even deeper side of your neighborhood expertise. In fact, you want potential clients to believe you’re part mayor, part tour guide. Which streets are considered part of a flood zone? When does the local swim league start at the YMCA? Are neighborhood zoning changes up for a vote? When’s the best time to get a table at everyone’s favorite local restaurant?
With so much information available online, offering unique locals-only insights won’t just wow your buyers, it will make them feel right at home!
3. Be a property visionary
Understanding the best use for a property is another area where you can really shine as an agent and wow your clients. Whether they’re a family of five or investors looking for their next income-producing property, help your buyers see past the obvious.
Would this home be ideal as a rental property? If the kitchen and baths were updated, could the property be a profitable flip for your buyers? Perhaps they could add a closet to an awkward room to get the fourth bedroom they were looking for.
Having an eye for a home’s optimal use can give buyers the vision they need to move forward with the purchase and leave thinking you’re a true rock-star agent.
4. Be a relationship-builder
Relationships can make a huge difference in any sales profession. Developing insights into how other local agents handle negotiations, for example, can give your clients a leg up during the purchase of their new home. Maybe you know that a particular selling agent always counters at least twice before coming to terms. Put this information to work by adjusting your client’s initial offer.
Or perhaps you’ve developed a relationship with a local lender that specializes in first-time homebuyers. Do you know a local handyman who can paint that purple bedroom a soothing gray before your clients move in? You can wow potential clients by establishing professional relationships with local agents and vendors that will give your clients a pleasant homebuying experience.
These are just a few of the many ways you can wow your potential homebuying clients. What do you do for your clients that makes them really appreciate your expertise and knowledge?
Andrew Flachner is chief real estate enthusiast at RealScout, the real estate search collaboration platform for agents and their clients.