How to Earn Trust from Your Real Estate Clients

Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions most people make in their lives. The process can be emotional, stressful, and exciting for your real estate clients. Not only are prospects seeking a knowledgeable agent to help them make the best decision, they're seeking someone they can trust with their future.

If a real estate agent comes across as ethical and authentic, they gain the confidence of their prospects, leading to more referrals and repeat business. Unfortunately, if the prospect views their potential Realtor as dishonest or misleading, it can damage the relationship and even the Realtor's reputation.

Think about the people in your life that you trust the most. It's likely that they are honest, available, and reliable. These are the same traits your prospects and clients are seeking in a Realtor.

Are you a trustworthy agent? Ask yourself these questions:

• Are you able to remember relevant details about your client's life and family in order to help them feel understood and valued?
• Can you offer testimonials from satisfied past clients?
• Are you forthright about your hours of availability?
• Do you return phone calls and emails as in under 24 hours?
• Is your online marketing (emails, social media, website) professional and credible?
• Have you made a point of developing strong communication skills?
• Are you honest about how you can deliver on your client's expectations?
• Do you regularly go above and beyond the call of duty?
• Do you keep your clients updated on the progress of their transaction?
• Do you keep in touch with clients even after you've closed the deal?

A little bit of thoughtfulness goes a long way. Who seems more trustworthy, a real estate agent who completely forgot their client is looking for a home with a suite for their elderly mother? Or the agent who remembers this detail and asks their client how their mother is doing? Genuinely listening and caring for your client's needs builds rapport and trust.

Of course, you aren't expected to store all your contact's personal details in your head. A good real estate CRM will do the work of remembering these important details for you. You can keep track of your client's housing preferences, budget, and family situation, allowing you to shine when you call or meet with them.

Building trust is a process that takes time and effort, but the payoff is happy clients, referrals and repeat business. One of the things many of us love about selling real estate is helping people, so let that come across by being a genuine, trustworthy Realtor. Your CRM can help you build trust by reminding you of when to get in touch, sending out professional, branded emails and storing important details about your clients. So go forth and be trustworthy!

To view the original article, visit the IXACT Contact blog.