I’ve had prospective clients or friends in other states ask me why they should commit to me or any agent for that matter. Isn’t it better to have several agents all looking for my perfect house at the same time?
Well, in a word; No! Unless of course you want to be on the bottom of each of those agents’ priority lists. You've got to do something to differentiate yourself from the other 2-3 people who contacted that agent this week looking for their "perfect" house.
Like you, each of these agents only has 24 hours in a day. In that time he or she needs to sleep, eat, take care of their families, maybe exercise, go shopping, prepare meals, clean up after meals, clean the house, do the laundry, oh yeah and WORK. Since agents are independent contractors with no boss telling us what to do or paying us a salary, we have to prioritize how we will spend our work hours so that our real estate businesses will be profitable. So I know that if I have clients who are dedicated to working only with me, they are at the top of my priority list. If they appreciate my time and efforts, I reward them with more time and efforts. If they call from a driveway of a house they’re interested in seeing, I will move hell and high water to get there to show it to them. How do I know if they’re dedicated to working with me? They’ve signed a listing agreement or a buyers’ agency agreement with me or are a past client or personal friend that I know is loyal to me. If they’re buyers they’ve taken steps to be ready to buy like getting pre-approved. If they’re sellers they’ve followed my advice on staging and getting their home prepared to sell.
Maybe this will make more sense. Let’s say your boss comes to you and is suspending your salary and wants you to be paid on a per project basis. He gives you the choice of working on a few different projects. One project he’s really vague about what he wants you to do, what it will pay and when he may need you to have it done. There’s another project that he’s also offering to other workers and he hasn’t really decided yet who will be paid for it or even how he’ll decide who’ll get paid for it but he wants you all to start on it now. There’s another project where he’s done a little preliminary research and he outlines exactly what he’d like for you to do and really wants you to work on the project because he trusts your expertise. Which one sounds the most appealing? Yep, number 3 is the one most agents prefer to work on too. You’ll want to make yourself a Category 3 client.
So my advice is to pick an agent through referrals or interviewing them or researching them or a combination, but pick one you trust. Then when he or she asks you to do things to get ready to purchase or sell, trust them and do what they ask. You’ll all have a much better experience. I so enjoy many of my clients and they end up becoming my friends and referring their friends and family to me.
Oh! I gotta go. Some loyal clients who appreciate me are calling. They get my undivided attention!
Let My Service Move You!
Beth Allen
