Increasing Sales via Customer Service - A Real Estate Approach

Customer care plays a crucial role in increasing sales in the real estate industry. By enhancing customer service practices, real estate professionals can build stronger relationships, foster client loyalty, and ultimately drive more sales. Here are several strategies for leveraging customer care to boost sales:

1.

Real estate is inherently personal, and clients appreciate tailored experiences. Agents should take the time to understand individual client needs, preferences, and pain points. This can involve:

• : Use personalized emails or calls to address specific client concerns.

• : Match properties to clients based on their unique requirements, enhancing the likelihood of closing deals13.

2.

Timely responses are critical in real estate transactions. Clients often reach out to multiple agents, so quick replies can set an agent apart. Effective communication strategies include:

• : Aim to respond to all inquiries within a few hours.

• : Provide comprehensive answers to questions about properties, financing options, and market conditions12.

3.

Trust is a cornerstone of successful real estate transactions. Agents should prioritize honesty and transparency by:

• : Clearly communicate what clients can expect throughout the buying or selling process.

• : Share relevant data and trends that impact property values and investment potential25.

4.

Following up with clients after initial interactions can significantly enhance relationships and lead to repeat business. Effective follow-up strategies include:

• : Contact clients after closing to ensure satisfaction and address any lingering concerns.

• : Keep past clients informed about market changes or new listings that may interest them34.

5.

Utilizing technology can streamline customer service processes and improve client interactions. Consider implementing:

• : These tools help manage client information and track interactions, ensuring personalized service.

• : Offering virtual property tours and easy online scheduling can enhance convenience for busy clients13.

6.

Satisfied clients are often willing to refer friends and family. To encourage this behavior:

• : After successfully closing a deal, ask clients if they know anyone looking to buy or sell property.

• : Consider offering incentives for referrals that lead to successful transactions24.

7.

Regularly seeking feedback from clients can help identify areas for improvement in service delivery. This can be done through:

• : After transactions, send surveys to gather insights on their experience.

• : Use feedback to refine processes and enhance overall service quality57.

By implementing these strategies, real estate professionals can not only improve customer satisfaction but also drive sales growth through repeat business and referrals. Ultimately, excellent customer care transforms the client experience into a competitive advantage in the real estate market.

Citations:

1. https://www.dragapp.com/blog/real-estate-customer-service/
2. https://www.jasonfox.me/customer-service-real-estate-success/
3. https://www.ambscallcenter.com/blog/real-estate-customer-service-tips
4. https://iconsofrealestate.com/real-estate-agents-can-improve-their-customer-service-skills/
5. https://helplama.com/tips-for-real-estate-customer-service/
6. https://renderartstudio.com/our-stories/top-strategies-on-how-to-improve-sales-in-real-estate/
7. https://www.helpscout.com/blog/real-estate-customer-service/
8. https://www.cresinsurance.com/8-ways-real-estate-agents-can-improve-the-customer-service-experience-for-home-sales/

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Answer from Perplexity: pplx.ai/share

Experiences from living remotely

 

Long ago about 8 years before COVID-19 pandemic, I began working remotely. Online meetings, online ordering, just about everything that was available in the virtual world at the time that interests me I would use. Yes, this included software subscriptions that allowed me to better cope within such an environment. In short I utilized and provided services via the online environment. 

Over time, I realized that there are a number of things that are still missing and businesses are stopping short of really using such an asset to their benefit. There is a sort of latency of if it ain't broke don't fix it that has become broadbased in terms of patterns. 

In short, I have realized that many businesses are leaving money on the table and are not realizing their full potential. We have become numb to identifying new opportunities. 

For all the online presence that we are seeking to adopt, we lag terribly in the following areas and this is not an exhausted list. 

• Online ordering and fulfillment
• Banking portals for online transactions 
• Exhanced export conduits to get the goods/services to customers more efficiently
• Access to individuals in business to get clarity/clarification prior to cementing an online transaction 
• Methods of rendering service examples so customers can understand and determine if that's what they truly want

This impacts:

• Property usage, access, and rentals
• Transportation 
• Delivery services 
• The ability and flexibility with which customers can make alterations to orders
• The timeliness of deliveries [most seemed to have settled for next day fulfillment even if orders cam in early in the morning]
• Ongoing research and development to enhance the experiences for the online shopper - evolution and expansion is slow
• The telecommunications conduits have come to a halt. Only the fees for telecommunications are increasing, even as the levels of service decline. It seems that the newer devices have to step down to figure out how to work on old networks. 
• Internet security is lagging behind the market needs and requirements. Hackers still have the upper hand. 
• Integration of the financial institutions to businesses/individuals is lagging
• Not enough businesses are testing their online environments for security breaches
• Not enough businesses are embarking on avenues for growing their business online - seldom are articles written that allow them showcase their goods/services. We are too heavily reliant on ads. 
• Online meeting formats are weak and therefore not allowing for the greatest productivity to take place. 
• Decision making is too slow and cumbersome for the buyers
• There's a sense of this is how it's done within the market and industry standards are fully tested to see if there are opportunities for enhancement

Money at the table on the table that we don't meet

I can go on but I believe by now you've gotten the picture. We need to do better. We need to really examine our value that we bring to the public we serve and look at how our business models need to be tweaked so that we optimize how we conduct business and form relationship linkages within our communities. 

If you're unclear as to how these can work for you. Just contact me and perhaps we may have opportunity to work together for solutions. 

Enjoy your weekend. Make your days ahead as productive as possible. 

Customer service for entrepreneurial entities

 When we are born, we have to learn how to use the various limbs of our body. The ways that we use them would change over time as we grow and become accustomed to how our muscles react.  If we are observant, many of these motions tend to be repetitive. 

Yet, for many of us, our approach to setting up a business is ready, fire, aim. We tend to do so without practice and then wonder where we went wrong. This is particularly noticeable if we're observant as we deal with our internal and external customers. 

It is said that the customer is always right; this is untrue. No one individual is always right. Yet this fallacy is unchallenged by many, even at the corporate level. 

Entrepreneurs need guidance on how to plan their customer interactions. This needs to take place before they even meet their first customer. It is required so that the customer/SME interactions function smoothly. 

How can we encourage and uplift customers so that they enjoy the experience of interacting with our entities? Are there areas that we need to attend? What are the touchpoints? 

Asking and answering the above questions allows entities to respond better to customers' needs, regardless of how they interact with the business. Sit with your advisors today and plan your customer interactions for your business. If you need assistance, just reach out. There are adequate resources available. 

Enjoy your weekend. 

We must bear responsibility

Almost daily, the news media is flooded with messages and opinions about the government. It is not unique to Barbados, but many nations face this dilemma. Usually, I observe, tending to keep my opinions to myself, and certainly not becoming involved in political discussions of any sort. By now, if you have gotten this far and read the topic then you must know when I'm coming from and wondering where I am going.

Politicians, to those who are interested, seem to play to the gallery of onlookers. Often they say things to press the emotional buttons of the listener to spark either their support for their party or for themselves, as we're seeing in recent times. There are some things that are common among them that I have an issue with; not with the politician, but with the people who listen/not listen to them. This concern for the people includes me as a citizen.

For too long, politicians have been throwing no end of buzz words, cliches, and phrases that are little more than wandering generalities rather than meaningful specifics at the populous. This is especially apparent when elections approach and they are seeking votes. Often their utterances include lots of blaming of the current government and promises of what they will do when they get in are the center of discussions. Perhaps this is politics!

The people then say they are neglected, ill-treated, marginalized and other such terms; I wonder who is truly to blame. Since many practice partisan politics blindly without question. Others just look at what they are going to get out of the promises uttered from the platform. Few, if any, really question in depth.

Glossy manifestos are pointless, and the noise from platforms are of little use to the people if we don't demand more. We must be mindful that those who are seeking to run for political office do so for the right reasons. Reasons that benefit the nation, it's people and the society as a whole.

One should expect some of the following and others not even mentioned here to be addressed:

• What is the vision for this country and its people?
• What model of governance will be used to address the current situation the country faces and how would the human resources be mobilized within this cause to allow us to become restored as a nation? 
• A government has many moving parts, how can they be all orchestrated to ensure that the country as a whole meanders the various storms it faces socially, economically, and environmentally. {This needs to be a comprehensive approach] 
• If taxes were to be reduced and the operations governing collections enhanced; how would it serve to boost the economy of the country. Certainly we the economic minds and computers that we have available within the present day, we can arrive at a variety of models that would serve the various stages of our redevelopment. 
• How can the new government garner the support of its citizens to be committed to correcting the path of the country by addressing the challenges facing our country head-on, and having the requisite strategies developed to address the said challenges at the micro and macro levels? 
• How can we ensure that education is not just formal but also informal enabling the powering of entrepreneurship to move towards the stage where exportation of goods and services becomes a priority complete with incentives in place to encourage exports and foreign exchange earnings?
• We the people, complained vehemently about ham prices, and the costs of living; however, what are we doing on a national scale to adjust our lifestyles and communal practices to ensure we enhance our livelihoods within the nation? 

Let's move beyond the blame game and take responsibilities for our actions, words, and behaviours. Let us involve every aspect of our society address the problems and challenges that affect us all as long as we are resident in Barbados. Let us look at the problems facing us, but focus on the solutions and remedies to rectify our situations as a people so that the entire nation benefits. We have to be our brother's keeper. We have to look at multiple streams of improvement within our society. We have to prove to ourselves and the world that as a nation we can be strong and resilient, reclaiming what we lost and building for a brighter future. We must be a people that demand and adhere to accountability as one of our characteristics. 

Addressing a global issue as a small property

After traveling well in excess of 15 hours, a tired traveler arrives at their hotel ahead of the check-in time. The hotel was fully booked with back to back check out arrivals. Most of the other arrivals don't arrive until late evening that day.

The hotel should:

1. Give the early arriving guests priority with having their room prepared quickly so that they can access it a bit earlier. 
2. Make them wait until the appointed check-in time because of the hotel's policy. 

Almost daily, this is a situation that faces many. Yet despite being the case, many properties still struggle with the decision of what is best to be perceived as offering good hospitality. 

The question(s) they need to ask is/are:

1. What is great hospitality?
2. How do our standards align with the perception of great hospitality?
3. Where do gaps exist in what we currently offer and what we should be offering?
4. How quickly can we amend the situation should gaps be found? 
5. How do we convey our findings and changes to our team members so they can be adopted? 

Small hotels are not limited in their capacity for offering exceptional hospitality. Yes, there are global standards and many try to compete within that realm. However, we must recognize that as small hotels, we function in environments that would require a business model that would address the unique situation(s) that are faced by small properties in small economies. 

In the Caribbean, we offer life experiences at a different tempo. 

Good manners with support systems

It seems that many people do not know their own name. Don't believe me? Just call anywhere and experience how many people on the other end loathe saying their name when identifying themselves and the organization they represent.

When working somewhere you represent a brand of the business; however, there's a personal brand as well. Some older business people who never went anywhere to study business had something about their personality that enabled them to interact with people. So skilled were they with people, that when anyone was referred to the organization they would also be asked to see that people who offered exceptional service.

Nowadays, service has gone the way of education and entitlements which have become so entrenched that the provider has lost sight of who is the customer and what they represent to the business that they should be representing; albeit in a woeful manner.

We seem to have put so much emphasis on catering to customer complaints that customer service has become a department for fielding the various complaints of customers rather than an area that permeates the entire establishment that plans and implements practices that enhance the customer experience. With more education and certification in the area, we have become more reactive rather than proactive; dwelling on problems rather than focusing on solutions.

Businesses, big and small, have lost their sense of good manners. We have developed a society where looking pretty/cool takes precedence over being sincerely helpful. Many of those who offer help seem to have an ulterior motive; they want to be paid for everything. No one seems to care about developing a sound reputation for integrity and honor.

Can we make a difference? Yes, we can! Constantly being mannerly can do you a world of good, and it can improve our environment significantly. Stop being just an expense and begin being an asset in your environment, and develop a reputation for great manners.

Communication Abbreviations and Productivity

Nowadays, all kinds of abbreviations are used in personal life and in business. It is as if communication is reduced to the stage where the writer in an attempt to be brief, not realize that they're doing themselves a disservice.

Saw this one recently in an article, and the more I thought about it, the more it troubled me. I'll show it below:

• TL;NR - Too Long, Not Read

The scenario then unfolded in my head about when communications came out prior to a meeting and when the participants arrived at the meeting, their behaviour indicated they were seeing it for the first time. In essence, they're unprepared.

There's nothing that rouses my ire, like another needless meeting that wastes time. Not every communication can be short and snippy. One would imagine that the writer would ensure that they are not being deliberately long to prove a point.

Some abbreviations also are quite rude. I wouldn't mention them here, but there's really no need to be that impolite in a professional environment. Freedom of speech does not clear one of responsibility in what's being communicated.

Is my attitude right for today?

Many of us are getting up to go to work today. We are going to get dressed and ensure that we look our best for the situations that we expect that we'll face. Yet despite all that we do to make the external perfect, we do little to address our attitudes. THINK for a moment; if you used these characteristics coming up, how would your day be different?

• Courtesy
• Patience 
• Courage 
• Congeniality 
• Hospitality 
• Charity 

Many people waste a lot of time in the traffic. This is a key time that they can use to really advance themselves if they planned to use their time efficiently. They could actually turn the commute into a learning experience. There are a series of positive podcasts and audio books that can be listened to on the way to work / school. The information contained can be life changing; but it only works if it is utilized. 

Try this - Have a life mission for today. Decide that you're going to make a positive difference in the lives of everyone with whom you come in contact. Share your experiences with us:

1. How were you received?
2. How did the other person feel? 
3. How did you feel as a result? 
4. Did your day improve as a result? 
5. Are you going to do it again tomorrow to prove that the experience enhanced your life and identify how?

Your testimonies would be great, if you care to share. That way you can contribute to making a difference to others you may not even know. Have a superb day everyone! 

Celebrity Service

Have you ever been somewhere and received service that had you totally delighted? I mean you totally did not expect it, yet the service was such that it created a memorable experience for you rather than just mingle well camouflaged among the thoughts that you would have had for a lifetime. When you talk with your friends and colleagues afterwards you totally rave about how the service made you feel important - you were made to feel like a celebrity.

Would some of these statements describe your service experience?

• I didn't have to ask for anything really, they brought it before I thought it. 
• When they described what the experience would be and then exceeded it, I thought I found my piece of heaven.
• I felt like family there! 
• Have you ever been pampered; having your every need catered to? ....just when you thought that was all, then they catered to your wants? Wow!

You begin to get the picture. The experience that you received made you feel so great, that as you think about it, you realized that you received Celebrity Service.  Sure you can use the term, my only caveat is that you don't try to own it, but to share it thereby raising all the service standards one at a time with everyone that you come into contact with regardless of where in the world you are.

What's celebrity service? You get the opportunity to decide it, since there's no cookie cutter approach. It can be a standard that has application across cultures, races, classes, and creeds. It doesn't matter who you interact with, it matters that you made an extremely positive difference to their lives that they not only feel the gratitude of being on the receiving end of the service, but goes a step further in their wanting to serve whoever they come in contact with in a way that makes the experience most memorable.

• It goes beyond good customer service, since the emphasis is not on whether or not the other person is a customer.  
• It's not about differentiating between the internal / external customer. 
• Class demarcations like first, club, executive cannot define it. 
• It's personal; in that the experience of one person's celebrity service does not define that of another.
• Those with whom you interact must feel special, almost as if they are the only one that mattered at that time. Yet the feeling of celebrity service must extend beyond the interaction that they have had with you.
• Celebrity service is the journey, not a destination to be reached. 
• It is tangible, yet vague and wispy; neither governed by stars nor ratings.
• Celebrity service is when your people skills become you most important marketing asset. Not being governed by if the environment is highly classy or rustic. 
• It is reached by training in standards, where the key elements being developed are better people, not better looking environments. 

Here's the clincher. It's something that the Old Caribbean offered that enabled people to speak about going back to their holiday domiciles before they even left to go back home. Celebrity service is enchanting and enhancing. I love it when I experience it, but I love it more when I give it. 

The secret is that it isn't just something that takes place at work, but goes into the household. It's:

• spousal 
• family oriented 
• colleagues cooperating 
• church related 
• just good hospitality 

Are you ready for celebrity service; willing to experience it and to demonstrate it? I would love to hear / read your stories. Be the celebrity hosting other celebrities. Changing you mindset and behaviors can result in better life experiences! We all owe it to ourselves to have a quality of life that's exemplary. Here's another secret. It's service offered in an environment of love and care.  

Did you know? Our key asset is regional thinking.

For all the talk about hard and tough economic times, I still don't think we've learnt to think things through. Never mind our population has a high percentage of literacy, what are we doing to capture it? If I look at the answer, absolutely nothing.

I remember the days when we were students, our lecturers gave us projects which when we did the research and provided answers, we would never really see our projects again. It was those days when the lecturers were smart. We would get a grade and they would get paid, since the projects we received were real world.

Universities now have loads of computers and smart devices that can easily access the internet via the various hotspots on the campuses. Why aren't our economic challenges given as projects and the grades given are for solutions to real world problems. It would be a perfect match since students rather than just bragging of the level at which they got their various certifications can also speak about projects they actually did and their outcomes. Employers would then be happy to know they are hiring the best minds.

Emphasis would change from whether a candidate has the experience or not, to what their participation was in various solutions to challenges that society faces. Here are some examples of results from such exercises.

• The Caribbean enjoys the highest arrival of tourists due to their innovative programs for wooing customers to its shores. Our research shows we know what they want and how we can deliver it to them customized to their needs.
• The Barbadian [place your country here] were able to avert massive layoffs due to workplace innovations that the students researched and institutes
• The labour force expands not via the provision of jobs, but through the creation of needed businesses our future has evolved into a new era. 
• Local business examined and implemented cross border entry strategies that facilitated expansion of various categories of start up enterprises just over eighteen (18) months old. 
• Richard Branson recognizes the Caribbean as the worlds leading source of entrepreneurial enterprises. 
• Caribbean small businesses use OM to tighten their costs and revenue structures. 
• Customer service is not lip service in the Caribbean, they have taken practical steps to hone their skills as the worlds leaders in customer service excellence. 
• The Caribbean has solved airlift challenges; reducing inter islands travel costs and enhanced profitability for the carriers

Are you beginning to get the idea? Case studies can be real. Instead of a grade, be paid with tangible workable recognition that enhances your post student opportunities.