4 Ways You Can Digitally 'Hand-hold' Clients and Why You Should

Agents long for the day when they can again meet face-to-face with clients regularly and feel comfortable about it. And agents know that until then, they still need to rely on the digital tools that have helped them through one of the most challenging chapters in our history.

By now, we all know that staying connected to your clients may be more important now than ever. And we know that understanding the importance and the value of the digital tools you are using can help you use them better to strengthen your relationships with your sphere of influence.

Here are four ways you can digitally "hand-hold" clients and the benefits of doing so:

1. Arrange video calls

Now that you've become a Zoom or Facetime expert, it's likely you may still have resistance to being on camera. It's important to remember that even on a screen, seeing a client is far more engaging than a telephone conversation, especially when you consider that the vast majority of person-to-person communications is nonverbal.

It's also a lot easier to arrange a quick Zoom or Facetime call with a client than an in-person meeting. And in some ways, a video requires even more focus than an in-person meeting, as video calls create pressure to maintain visual eye contact the entire time. Best of all, you can see the impact you are having when you are working to solve a client's problem. While a video call is not quite the same as being with the client in person, it's closer than you may realize.

2. Use video instead of text messages

Another great tool to connect is with video messaging, which can also provide an enormous value in building trust with a client. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth more than a million words. Research tells us that viewers retain 95 percent of a message when they watch a video versus only 10 percent when they read a text.

A short selfie video update sent to a client is not only a more memorable communication, but it also has a better ability to connect with a client emotionally than a phone call, email, or text. It's the personalization of your short video message that is so powerful.

3. Live video home tours

You may have given live video tours for clients who you worked with remotely long before the pandemic. Now live video tours are more popular than ever. One survey showed that more than 60 percent of home buyers made an offer on a home sight unseen in 2020. That's nearly double the amount reported the prior year.

Taking a client through a house live on your phone using Facetime or Google Duo is far more effective than a standard video or 3D tour they can view online. It allows you to engage with your clients, answer specific questions, and your clients can get your perspective on the home and have a dialogue with you to resolve issues and answer questions in real-time.

4. Use transaction management software

Tools like Form Simplicity can go a long way in providing your clients digital transparency. One important feature to leverage your transaction management system is to share key documents with clients. By doing this, you not only keep the transaction process moving faster, you are giving clients more immediate results and that means peace of mind.

Using a transaction management system is a great way to "hand-hold" every client digitally as they know you can stay on top of their transaction 24/7.

One final reminder: if your state or local association, brokerage, or MLS offers Tech Helpline as a member service benefit, be sure to take advantage of this free help for troubleshooting any of your video challenges. Tech Helpline analysts are ready to help.

Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.