Why Responsiveness Is the Most Important Quality in a Real Estate Agent

There are numerous surveys and studies that show that the majority of buyers work with the first agent they speak to. That means all you have to do to get more clients is be more responsive.

California Association of REALTORS' R.E.A.C.T. report shared several insights into the importance of being responsive to your current, past, and future clients. Find out how you can go beyond answering the phone when it rings and immediately calling incoming email leads to connect with more leads and close more deals.

Future Clients

Few agents get excited when a rental lead hits their inbox, but those who do get excited understand that their rental lead probably does want to buy a home. They're just waiting for the right reason, like a promotion or a relationship change to make the leap. According to the C.A.R. R.E.A.C.T. report, four out of five renters want to own a home some day, but many have misconceptions about what it takes to buy. Even with those misconceptions, nearly half of renters surveyed by C.A.R. plan to purchase a home in the next five years.

By being there for them now, responsive agents can nurture a relationship with the renter to help clear up misconceptions about buying a home so they can shift into the buyer role faster. And when they do, you'll be the obvious choice to be their real estate agent.

Repeat Clients

The most common place buyers find their real estate agent is online, and among those who found their agent online, millennials were the most likely to find an agent there. As a younger generation, millennials are likely to buy multiple homes over the course of their lives. Building a positive connection with them from the start could mean several rounds of buying and selling as they work through various life phases, plus referrals as their friends and family get ready to move.

Current Clients

As important as it is to contact buyers and renters right away to earn their business, it's extra important to be responsive with sellers. They aren't willing to wait. According to the C.A.R. R.E.A.C.T. report, nearly half of sellers expect their agents to respond to their communications immediately or within 30 minutes. Millennials especially expect their agent to immediately answer their communications. That means answering calls about staging, contracts, and timelines quickly to stay in your seller's good graces so you can keep getting referrals from that client.

Responding to every incoming call and message can be a daunting task, but doing so can have a profound impact on your bottom line.

To view the original article, visit the Homes.com blog.