Inman Connect New York delivers the perfect blend of outside-the-box thinkers, cutting-edge leaders, and hard-working, successful agents. Join us Jan. 24-26 for crucial content, education, and networking opportunities to help you thrive in today’s changing market. Register here.
Real estate agents who spend a lot of time chasing leads but aren’t yet reaping the rewards may want to step back and examine whether their messages are effective, a real estate coach said.
At Wednesday’s Inman Connect virtual event, brokerage and teams consultant Jon Cheplak said too many agents approach client reach outs with a sales-pitch mentality when consumers are looking for reassurance they can trust their agents first.
“You don’t need more leads,” Cheplak said. “You need to get your message right, to your leads.”
When he’s advising teams, Cheplak said he often has to correct agents who use cliches or over-the-top messaging instead of communications meant to establish or build on trust in the relationship.
“Lose your cheesy, real estate-templated real estate emails and posts,” Cheplak said. “You’re pushing people away. Put thought into your [message].”
Most potential clients in an agent’s database who might be interested in entering the market have already been considering it. They don’t need to be persuaded to sell or buy, he said. They need to know the agent is a trusted resource to help them navigate the next steps.
“You, as a real estate agent, you’ve got to be a lighthouse,” Cheplak said. “There is uncertainty and that lighthouse is the one that is always there, informing and educating.”
This means that the agent should constantly try to invest in their own personal and professional development. Highly successful agents push themselves to improve on a regular basis and set up ways to hold themselves accountable for taking steps toward improvement, Cheplak argued.
Clients also pick up on when an agent is genuinely involved in their community and is guided by core principles beyond making the next sale, Cheplak said.
Part of the reason some agents struggle with effective messaging is because sales skepticism among consumers is “sky-high,” Cheplak said. If any part of an agent’s message isn’t authentic, potential clients are primed to sniff it out, he said.
The good news is, there’s still a broad demand for the agent’s services, Cheplak said. But the critical first step is to get the potential client to lower their guard.
“Everyone wants to buy; no one wants to be sold,” he said.
