Your MLS: What Is It Good For? Client Retention!

Any seasoned agent already knows that keeping in touch with clients is crucial to building repeat and referral business. You probably already employ strategies like drip marketing, mailing personalized holiday or home anniversary cards, providing periodical property tax assessments, and scheduling homeowner check-ups to stay top of mind.

But did you know that there's another tool you can use to boost client retention--and that it's something you already use every day? If you're looking to provide more--or different--value to your clients, look to your MLS. Your MLS's mapping tools are a resource that let you notify past clients about new listings and sold properties in their neighborhood.

Though it seems simple, this strategy is powerful because it taps into homeowners' natural need to be "in the know" about what's happening in their neighborhood. Think about it--listings frequently go into the MLS before a sign goes up on a property's lawn. By setting up your former clients to receive new listing alerts, you're ensuring that they're the first to know that a nearby home is going on sale.

Alerts are easy to set up. Simply use the drawing or polygon search tool to highlight an area around your client's home. This can be a small or large area, depending on the population density. By setting up your MLS's software to automatically email your client with new neighborhood activity, you have an effective way to provide value with no extra work required on your part.

What to Do if a Client Opts Out

Not all clients may be interested in receiving frequent emails, particularly if they live in an area with high activity. If a client asks to be removed from email notifications, consider sending them monthly direct mailings with neighborhood updates. This less frequent, less intrusive method may be more to their liking.

If a client then calls you and asks to be removed from direct mail, ask if they would prefer to receive the information by email. Nine times out of ten, your customer won't even recall asking to be removed from your email list. If they do remember, politely remove them from all future mailings, digital or otherwise. After all, the goal is customer retention, not alienation!

When combined with other methods for staying in touch, leveraging your MLS's features can be a potent way to provide clients with information that is personally valuable to them--and that keeps you top-of-mind!

More Client Retention Ideas

• 10 Ways to Build Client Loyalty
• 3 Ways to Use Text Messages in Your Marketing and Client Retention Strategies
• Repeat Business: Why Your Clients Really Stick By You