How to Prioritize Relationship Building through Today’s Technological Advancements

The team at BoomTown graciously allowed us to republish this article from their blog. Guest contributor Julie Caroline says:

Sam Cooke had it right when he said “A change is gonna come.” This is especially true for for the real estate industry. 10 years ago most real estate agents had not even heard of internet lead generation. Today 90% of home buyers are online! Technology has been a driving force behind some major changes in the way Real Estate Agents connect with their clients. As a real estate agent of today,  you may find yourself tweeting, blogging and posting listings to Facebook. While it’s critical to accept and adapt to these technological advances, it’s critical that you do not forget about the one thing that remains the same – the relationship you build with your clients.  Below you’ll find some tips for keeping relationship building at the forefront of your efforts.

Budget your time

If you’re anything like me, then you know how easy it is to hop on Facebook for a minute and 2 hours later find yourself still on there reading about what one of your friends did over the weekend. To avoid getting “sucked in,” set aside a specific time of the week to work on your social media efforts. Whether it’s the last 20 minutes of each day or 2 hours every Tuesday, pick a plan and stick to it. Similarly, if you find it hard to keep up communication with your Lending partner, then consider setting a specific time aside each week to have “call night.” When your client is open to speaking with your Lending partner, you can transfer the call with ease knowing your Lender is ready and able to take the call. If learning new technologies is not your strong suit, schedule time once a week to make that your focus. Taking an hour out of your week can help you use your software or social media tools more efficiently, saving you time in the long run.

Pick up the phone and call!

Your initial reaction may be to respond to your client in the form of communication they used to contact you. Fight those urges and pick up the phone! A phone conversation will give you a much clearer view of what your lead is looking for and will show your lead how committed you are to customer service. It’s not just important to call, but to call quickly. *Studies show that the odds of reaching your leads are 100 times greater if you call within 5 minutes than if you wait 30 minutes to place the call. *Source: MIT Lead Response Management Survey

Embrace Networking

If you’re  new to networking, a good place to start is with good old fashioned in person networking. Conferences like Inman’s Real Estate Connect, Star Power and Keller Williams Mega Camp are great places to make contacts. Social platforms like Facebook groups, LinkedIn and Google + circles are great tools for staying in touch with those contacts. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice! You’d be surprised at how willing people are to share information especially when they are located outside of your market. At BoomTown we think building relationships with one another is so important that we’ve created a group based on that idea of sharing knowledge. Not only have we seen great tips for success passed along, I even witnessed someone in need of a Mandarin speaking Agent in a specific neighborhood find one within minutes simply because he asked. Now, that’s the power of networking!

Provide value to all leads

Don’t underestimate leads who have provided bogus contact information. We’ve heard many success stories about leads who, when ready to buy, have provided their valid contact information. The same goes for leads who are working with other agents. You may be tempted to write them off as a trash lead, but if you continue to offer your services and maintain a good working relationship with them, you’ll be the first realtor they come running to if things don’t work out with their current Realtor.

Document

Document where your efforts pay off. Because technology is ever changing, it’s critical that you don’t put all your eggs in one basket. It’s good to try out new technologies, but it’s imperative that you keep a record of what works. In the long run you should be able to identify what works “for now” vs. what works “always.” When technology evolves causing one of your lead sources to go by the wayside, you can always fall back on one of your efforts that has proven itself time after time.

I hope this blog post has provided you with good ideas for prioritizing relationship building. In short, while it’s hugely valuable to keep up with advancements in technology, but it’s critical that you don’t loose sight of the importance of relationship building. Next time someone tells  you “The only thing constant is change,” tell them they’re wrong, it’s relationships!

To view the original post, visit the BoomTown blog. To learn more about BoomTown, visit BoomTownROI.com.