Responding effectively to your real estate pay-per-click enquiries – the key to making the most of your leads
The best online real estate marketing in the world is of no use at all unless you are able to turn enquiries into clients and eventually sell property to some of them. The first step to achieving this is to follow up your pay-per-click or search engine leads promptly, professionally and effectively.
When you’re selling real estate, you naturally have to take into account that the buying process is much longer than in most other cases, and will probably stretch into months - sometimes even years. This is why it is vital that every single thing you do as you follow up your leads contributes to building a relationship of trust with your prospects - that essential element of making the sale.
Respond to enquiries immediately
Remember that you are not alone! Your prospects have most definitely contacted several other estate agents enquiring about similar properties, or maybe even the same ones they are asking you about. Always make it a point to respond to pay-per-click leads and enquiries as soon as you possibly can, and in any case within a maximum of 24 hours.
The early bird catches the worm here, and you will gain a significant advantage over other estate agencies simply by being the first to get back to your clients. What’s more, you’ll come across as being efficient and professional and you’ll also show your prospective clients that you care for their business - two more points in your favour!
Use a combination of phone and e-mail wherever possible
The phone is a much better way to establish a personal relationship than just using e-mail, so make sure you call your prospects if they have left a contact number. At the same time, you should also use e-mail to send extra information about relevant properties, such as brochures, photos, Internet links and so on. What’s more, by sending e-mail, you give your clients the information in a written form that they can easily refer to. It may be a good idea that when you send an important e-mail, you suggest that your clients print it out - you never know when that piece paper could show up again, weeks or months down the line, and serve as a reminder of the property or of your real estate agency.
Depending on the particular case, it may be best to call first and e-mail follow-up information later, or else send the information first and then call to discuss it. Still, always make sure you follow up one with the other, giving your client enough space so they don’t feel pressured.
Make sure you understand what your clients are asking for and answer all their questions
Don’t let your busy schedule get the better of you! Part of establishing your professionalism as a real estate agent is to communicate well with your clients, and that begins by understanding well what they are telling you. So read their queries carefully and make sure you do not leave any points out as you answer them. There is nothing more frustrating for a client than to receive an e-mail that does not adequately address all their questions or doubts. Don’t count on your clients getting back to you for clarification if you are sloppy in your replies - they may very well not!
Ask questions yourself to find out as much as possible about your clients
Show an interest in your real estate clients and ask the right questions to find out as much as possible about them - what sort of property they are looking for, their reasons for buying, what they expect from the property and so on. Many times, your clients may not be too sure of the answers to these questions themselves, in which case you can also be of great use by helping them to clarify their thoughts.
Be prepared with alternative properties
No property hunter feels comfortable around a pushy estate agent, so when you suggest alternative properties, make sure they are relevant to what your client is looking for and do it out of a genuine interest to help. You may want to consider using professional real estate agent software to help you keep track of both your property portfolio and your clients. That way you save precious time by quickly matching clients with ideal properties, and at the same time you make sure you never miss out on a sale by forgetting to mention a property that could have been the one.
Keep in mind once again that finding the right property takes time and what your clients want most is an agent who has the patience to help them find what they are looking for.
Follow up your leads
Show an active interest in your clients and their business by following up on your communication according to the schedule you agree. If they told you they would think about it and call back in a few days but don’t, let an adequate amount of time pass and give them a call. Remember, do this out of interest in the client, and not in that particular sale itself.
Be professional at all times
Honesty and integrity is the one thing all clients look for in a real estate agent. You may be the most knowledgeable about your property market or have the largest property portfolio, but if you don’t manage to win your clients’ trust, it’s all for nothing.
Professionalism involves a whole list of things, from being prompt and efficient, to respecting your clients and not using cheap tactics, like hinting that a property is about to be sold to someone else. Clients can sense that fake concern and your reputation will suffer because of it.
Remember that if you want to get the most out of your pay-per-click advertising, you will have to deal effectively with each and every single lead, so that you maximise its chance of converting into a sale at some point in the future. Follow the above tips and you’ll be definitely on the right track!
April 9th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
[…] Any lead you get - be it from pay-per-click, or from the natural search engines - is a potential sale waiting to happen. But like a seed needs to be nurtured into a plant, your lead has to be developed into a relationship with a prospective client if you are to make the most of your pay-per-click enquiries. […]