Prepare yourself for a shocker: your clients want you to listen to them. Perhaps you've heard this a few times before; but all too often, buyers and sellers feel unheard and unappreciated. Agents can fall into a "one size fits all" approach, losing their edge and their clients in the process. Instead, you can show your clients that you see them, hear them, and appreciate them by crafting a strategy that is unique to them.

Need proof of how unique we all are? Just look at the way we decorate our homes. If you visit your buyer or seller clients in their home, you can't help but notice the art they've put on display, the type of furniture they've chosen, and the colors they've painted the walls. Is the style modern and minimal? Is it classic and traditional?

You don't just need to extrapolate about a client's preferences based on their interior design choices. If you listen, they will tell you exactly what they like, what they dislike, and what they want from you. You can use what you learn to create a unique strategy for their real estate purchase or sale.

How It's Done

There are countless opportunities for customization in your dealings with buyers or sellers, many of which are possible through technology. Here are just three examples.

1) Reports. Whether you're working with buyers or sellers, reports help facilitate communication with your clients. You can use them to guide conversations about neighborhoods and available properties with buyers. You can use them to guide discussions about pricing and market conditions with sellers. In the context of our theme today, the key is to cobble together a report that responds to each client's unique questions, concerns, and stylistic preferences.

According to Greg Robertson of Cloud CMA, this is the very reason they created their new Power Packs. "We were hearing feedback from some dedicated agents who felt they could better serve their clients if they had more opportunities for customization," says Greg. "Our customers were looking for more opportunities to tailor their reports to their clients, so the Power Pack was our solution."

2) Mobile technology. Is your client constantly using their smartphone? Do they reach out to you via text message? Respond in kind. Touch base with text instead of a phone call. If they're a buyer, offer them your agent or broker branded property search app and ask them to share the properties they like via the app. If they're a seller, emphasize the tools you'll use for mobile marketing – text message marketing, mobile-friendly single property websites, sign riders with QR codes, etc.

3) Marketing collateral. The marketing you create for your sellers first and foremost needs to be attractive to potential buyers. However, it also needs to resonate with your client. Whether online or offline, this marketing collateral should reflect their feedback to you.

Headed to NAR Annual this week? Stop by booth #1144 to learn more about Cloud CMA!