6 Ways to Build Enduring Relationships with Your Clients

Mar 22, 2018
3 min read

The real estate business is all about relationships. Before you close a deal with a client, there is usually a relationship-building period as you both figure out if you are the right fit for each other. Because of this, building great relationships is the cornerstone of a successful real estate business. Repeat business and referrals also come from good relationships with your clients. To help you build such enduring and profitable relationships with your clients, follow the following 6 steps:

Communicate Effectively

Communication is the central pillar of any relationship, not just business relationships. Communicating effectively with your clients will let them know you care about the relationship you have with them. Keep them abreast of all that’s happening with the business you have with them. You just got a new offer on the house they wanted, let them know. The home owner just made a counter offer, let them know immediately. If the information is relevant to them, communicate as promptly as you can.

Be Truthful

While it may be tempting to “leverage” the truth to your benefit, resist the urge. Information is power, yes, but relationships are even more powerful. If you have some information that could affect your client, share it, for better or worse. If your client is buying a home for a certain reason and something changes, don’t keep them in the dark hoping they will have closed before they find out. Be upfront about it. Your clients will respect you the more for being truthful with them.

Show Empathy

Your clients have various things they are going through as they buy or sell a home. Showing empathy will help you build a lasting relationship with them. But it must be real empathy, where you go out of your way to help them, even if they do not ultimately bring you business. Some of the ways you can show empathy is helping them find an alternative home, even from another agent, when the house they wanted falls through. Really understanding the journey they are on, and remembering the little and big things they value, will make you stand out in their eyes as someone worth keeping close.

Deliver Value

Relationships are about exchange of value. The greater the value exchanged, the deeper the relationship. As a real estate agent, you want a deep relationship with your clients, so they can keep you in mind for any new business they have. Referrals also work this way. The value you can deliver depends on each client. Their specific needs are a roadmap to the value you can offer them. If a client who just bought a home is looking for a renovation company, going out of your way to recommend one is a fantastic way to deliver value. Also keeping your clients in the loop with regards to housing industry news and happenings will also deliver value.

Respect Their Time

Everyone appreciates those who respect their time. Enduring relationships are built this way. To show you respect their time, never keep them waiting; always keep time on appointments and meetings. While with them, be 100% focused. Don’t fidget with your phone or check your email. Also send them prompt feedback on any information they request from you. Clients who know you are this keyed in come to value the relationship they have with you. They come to know you as someone who respects their time.

Reward Your Best Clients

This a powerful relationship builder. Here’s how you can make it work for you. Do an inventory of all your clients and highlight the best. These could be those who are most loyal to you, or those who bring you business regularly. After singling them out, figure out how to regularly appreciate them. Annually is a great cycle. Now decide what you will do to appreciate them. It could be sending them a gift basket over Christmas, or a handwritten thankyou note. Letting them know you appreciate them, even if they have not brought new business recently, is a powerful way to build lasting relationships with your best clients.

Building lasting relationships takes time and effort. While all these steps may seem simple enough, where most real estate agents falter is in consistency. Consistency is the key that will activate all these steps and transform your client relationships into powerful bonds that last a lifetime.