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I often talk to coaching members about communicating with their clients through big questions, tough negotiations, or difficult times. Human nature tells us to speed up and get through difficulty quickly, right? But, to be most effective and serve people at a higher level, the smart tack to take is to slow down.
Think about navigating through the fog. It’s tough to see what’s ahead, so you need to slow down and look for the beacons and safe passages. The same is true when helping your clients and serving your market, especially during these times of great change and so much media noise.
Be the beacon for them. Here are eight ways to rise above the noise of modern life and shed some light on the confusion your clients may be feeling.
Serve, don’t sell
George Bernard Shaw once said, “I can think of no other edifice constructed by man as altruistic as a lighthouse. They were built only to serve.” As real estate agents, you are also built to serve. You have “helping” encoded into your DNA, and you want to help as many people as you can. To do that, you need to stand out.
There is something we like to call “The Lighthouse Effect,” which is an agent’s ability to stand out amongst the competition and guide clients through sometimes tumultuous real estate waters and tremendous industry noise with grace and ease.
You can do that in these 8 powerful ways:
1. Know your local market inside and out: As a real estate professional, you should have expertise on your local market that goes beyond just listing homes for sale. Be knowledgeable about trends in housing prices, development projects in the area, and demographics.
Knowing these things can help you better advise your clients on their buying or selling decisions and position yourself as an authority in the industry.
2. Share your expertise through content marketing: To be seen as a thought leader in your field, it’s important to create content that demonstrates your expertise. Whether it’s through blog posts, videos, or social media posts, creating content will help establish yourself as an expert in the space, which will attract more potential customers to your business.
Even writing a book or submitting articles to other publications can help set you apart and establish your credibility as a real estate expert.
3. Personalize your brand: People want to work with people they like and trust. There are many ways to make sure potential clients get a personal touch from you, even before meeting face-to-face (or via video chat).
Having a friendly headshot on your website, creating personalized emails for prospects after they contact you and sending information of value beforehand can all go a long way in establishing a strong relationship with them from the start.
4. Focus on relationship building: It’s important to set a positive tone right away when working with potential clients. From initial conversations, all the way through closing day, create an environment of trust by being reliable, honest, punctual, organized, and professional at all times — even if things don’t go according to plan.
Establishing this kind of rapport will make it easier for potential buyers or sellers to feel comfortable working with you throughout their entire homebuying/selling journey. Your relationships don’t end once someone has bought or sold their home through you. Staying connected with past clients is critical for building loyalty and referrals over time.
Stay top of mind by providing useful resources or information that is relevant to their current situation — without asking for anything back in return — and they won’t forget who was there when they needed it most.
5. Get involved in your community: People like working with people who share similar values and interests with them, so getting involved in local initiatives is one way to build relationships with potential customers while also demonstrating what’s important to you professionally and personally.
Whether it’s participating in community cleanups or volunteering at local schools, giving back will show people that you care about more than just profits!
6. Show passion, professionalism and authenticity: You can be passionate about what you do without being unprofessional. Make sure to show your enthusiasm while still being clear and concise with the information you provide. This will help create trust between you and your client, which is needed if they are going to have faith in the process.
When serving clients, it’s important to be authentic both online and offline.
Whether it’s communicating with clients on social media or talking with them face-to-face during an open house, always stay true to yourself and let your genuine self shine through. Clients will appreciate this authenticity, which will help differentiate you from other agents who may come across as too “salesy” or insincere when interacting with them.
7. Be a great listener: Listening is one of the most important skills for any real estate professional. It allows you to understand exactly what your client is looking for and can help prevent misunderstandings down the line. By taking the time to listen, you can ensure that both parties are always on the same page throughout the entire process of buying or selling a property.
Always be available for questions from potential buyers or sellers during any stage of their transaction process. Even if they don’t have an immediate need for assistance right now but may have questions down the line – let them know they can reach out anytime without hesitation.
Being available shows that you care about helping those around you succeed in whatever capacity necessary – which sets an example as someone worthy of being trusted wholeheartedly throughout every step along their journey home buying/selling journey.
8. Coach your clients on their options: When problems arise during any part of the process, don’t panic – offer solutions instead. Whether it’s suggesting new ways to market a property or giving advice on how best to navigate contract negotiations, clients must see you as someone who can provide answers when they need them most.
Taking complex real estate concepts and breaking them down into easy-to-understand pieces helps make complex topics more accessible for buyers and sellers who may not be familiar with industry terminology, processes, or available options.
It also demonstrates that you are knowledgeable about real estate topics while also being able to explain them simply so that anyone can understand them better.
The takeaway
No matter how crowded your market may seem at times, always remember that being seen as “the lighthouse” instead of “the noise” requires dedication and consistency over time—but it can be done.
By staying true to these eight principles, you can become not only part of the conversation but also an invaluable source of guidance for prospective buyers/sellers throughout your area. With this approach, there’s no telling how far your business can go.
Darryl Davis is a speaker, coach, and the bestselling author of How to Become a Power Agent in Real Estate, as well as the CEO of Darryl Davis Seminars. Connect with him on Facebook or YouTube.
