I recently went to a real estate brokerage office on the weekend to drop off some papers and was surprised to find the door locked. The agent was inside and the sign outside said "Agent on Duty." All external indications created the perception of an open office. However, when I tried the door, I found it quite unwelcoming. I knocked on the door and waited and waited. The agent finally came to the door and let me in. I apologized for my intruding but told her that I thought that the office was open. She replied that the office is open, but she always keeps the door locked when she is working on the weekend. This was not the evening, it was about 11 am on a gorgeous Saturday. I could not help but think how a potential client might perceive the barrier of the locked door.
This situation got me to thinking about the other barriers that we put up that prevent clients from feeling welcome to do business with us. I understand that the motivations were due to security concerns. However, the area in question was a very lovely (and safe) part of Chesapeake, Virginia. Here are a few of the most common barriers that we agents can place in front of our current and potential clients:
- Not returning calls in a timely manner. Nothing turns clients off more than the perception created that you are too busy or just don't care.
- Not listening to what your clients want or need. If the client says that they want to stay under $300,000 for their house, don't show them only houses that are in the $350,000 range.
- Not following up on promises. If you say you are going to do something, do it! The old mantra of under promise and over deliver is still true today.
- Providing the bare minimum services. Unless you are in a limited service agency, clients are looking for more than just opening doors, putting signs in the yard, listing their house in the MLS and shuffling papers. Consider ways that you can increase the value that you provide to your clients.
- Creating vast blocks of time when you do not do business. I know that the whole issue of part-time vs. full-time agents can be a sore subject. However, we need to be available to our clients when they are available. I always give my clients several choices for meeting with them and I still got feedback from a particular client this year that I should try to increase the flexibility of my schedule. And I am a full-time agent.
Feel free to add to the list, all of you fellow Active Rainers! Business is tough right now. We need to make sure that we make every effort to remove any barriers to our clients and how they do business with us.
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(c) Copyright 2012 Kathryn Maguire. All rights reserved.
Kathryn Maguire, MBA, GRI, ABR, SFR, and e-Pro
The Real Estate Group
Serving all of Hampton Roads, Virginia, including Chesapeake, Virginia Beach. Norfolk, Suffolk and Portsmouth
Kathryn@MyAgentKathryn.com
(757) 560-0881 (Cell)
(757) 410-8500 (Office)
(888) 696-2613 (Fax)
Kathryn, great list you have here --- maybe another one, is not staying in touch with past clients - your best resource of referrals! Have a great weekend!
Joan: Excellent point! And those past clients provide those referrals for very little cost...next to nothing. A much better use of your resources.
I totally agree with numbers 1 - 5 and I used to agree with your locked door impression. I never thought about locking the door even when I was alone in the office until after one beautiful sunny day when a drunken man facing foreclosure can through the door.
Isn't it incredible to think that we go to work everyday and create barriers so that potential clients go elsewhere with their business.....it's just incredible!!! what are agents thinking???? Ah, that's the problem....some agents just don't think.
Kathryn -
6) Not carrying business cards with you. 7) Not introducting yourself to new people.
I agree with your list. #5 can be difficult though. Most people work approx 9-5, so most of the time that I try to keep open is after 4-ish, especialy for showing houses. I do all the other stuff that needs to be done during the day, plus golf, grocery shop etc. If someone needs my services during daytime hours, no problem, I rearrange my schedule (if possible) or I have another agent give me a hand (and return the favor when he/she needs some help). What I don't like is when clients, or potential clients, start demanding my time. Only my family can do that, and it doesn't always work for them, either.
This is an excellent list and Michael's two additional items are great. I tend to agree the door should be unlocked during business hours. If she's uncomfortable being alone, maybe they could arrange to have two agents there at all times??? Tough to say.
Kathryn: Great list! I think not listening to the clients' needs is a huge one! Thanks.
Kathryn this is a very good point. AVAILABILITY goes to agents just as much as the ability to show a home when you want to see it.
Kathryn: It is funny that you mention this. I had an office I used to work at where the weekends were locked doors and unwelcoming. Never got much traffic. Hummm.
Along the lines of having the door locked...how about offices that don't have anyone answering the phone on the weekends!
Kathryn,
Passout 10 cards a day. Minimum. Network at the coffee shop with a name tag on.
Volunteer, churches and networking with other business persons. . .the list goes on and on. .
Fernando: Oh how many clients I have received from just being active in organizations. Great point!
Terry: I have never been able to master the ten cards a day thing. Thanks for giving me something to work on!
Nina: Very good point. At our brokerage, when the office is closed, the phones roll to the last person on desk duty. I have actually gotten a few clients this way.
Agent Aaron: I personally agree and think that the locked door is bad for business but will defer to people with security concerns.
Gary: Availabilty means so much. It makes it easier for clients to do business with us and it also indicates that you highly regard your clients when you are actually THERE for them.
You make some interesting points about barriers here.
Kathryn, Locking the door when the office is "open" is just baffling. And we've gotten business from just answering the phone... you can't always pick it up, but at least return the call!
Maria: Such a simple thing but it does make a difference. Thanks for stopping by!
Peggy: I am in the unlocked doors during business hours camp. When I hold an open house, I have an escape route planned in case someone scary comes in. The same applies to holding the office open on weekends. The door is open but I still have my escape route!
Anonymous Consumer: Thanks for stopping by Active Rain! The agent did know me but the door in question was a solid one. It is true that you should not judge people by appearances. As real estate agents, "testers" sometimes are sent to interact with agents to see if they practice discrimination.
Eric: There is a fine line between being available and being a door mat.
Michael: Carrying business cards ALWAYS is a big one. Just landed a client last month because I had my business cards. There was another agent at the party in question and she did not have her cards. The new client will buy in the $500-600K range.
Barbara: I just started thinking that business is tough enough right now. We need to make sure that we aren't doing things that make it even tougher on ourselves. Thanks for stopping by!
Sandy: People definitely make their own judgments about what they need to do to ensure their own personal safety. Perhaps the agent in question had a similar encounter in the past. But as I said, it did get me thinking about other barriers that we may put up that limit our business.
Liz and Bill: I tend to think that if your office is open, it should be open. The local bike shop is open on the weekend, as is the store that sells video games. And the phone is hue! We have phones that are answered by a real agent 24 hours a day and we do get business that way.
You're analogy is interesting and I agree that we put up lots of barriers - to spite ourselves, I guess. But regarding the locked door, I live and work in a very safe area but when I'm in the office alone, I always lock the door. It just seems prudent to do so.
I'm thinking of all the bullet proof glass and doors at the banks...
Regarding the locked door. This is s tough one and may be a case of seeking to understand. It's possible something may have happened to this particular agent in the past that makes them simply use more caution. I don't think on any level the locked door would bother me and I wouldn't judge this agent.
I agree with all your other points:)
Jason
Kathryn, good advice. I do believe we put up barriers sometimes without even realizing it. We need to be more aware of the things that may prevent people from working with us. These tips are a good place to start.
Ia agree availability and following through is the key to your success
Yesterday I went to show an REO property that gave a lock box code on the MLS sheet. When we got there the lock box was nowhere to be found. We looked at every possible place, front door, hose bib, gas meter pipe, and then walked all around the house twice to be sure we hadn't missed it.
The time was 11am. I called agent and he never returned my call. His voice message was about 3 minutes long with all kinds of instructions for various inquiries. So he wasted about 30 minutes of my time and my clients time by not having a standard MLS electronic lock box there, and by not returning my call needing immediate assistance.
Will my clients go back to see the inside if the agent finally returns my call???????????????? I don't think so!!!
At the very least the agent could have put "Open, please knock" on the door. And you are correct, putting any kind of barrier up is not providing the best service to your client. I think it was Mike Ferry who tells agents to put a message on their voicemail saying what times they will be returning phone calls - NEXT!