Blog / Prospecting
Sue Campion, Real Estate Etiquette
Confidence is something real estate agents have more than enough of, and the vibe a confident person gives off can be infectious, but this confidence must be tempered with tact when dealing with a range of different people to ensure the right message is put across.
Business etiquette expert Sue Campion said the well-worn phrase “you only get one chance to make a good first impression” can mean the difference between gaining the listing, or not, and making the sale, or not.
Think about your brand
Making that first impression the right one starts with good eye contact, a firm handshake and appropriate dress. It all comes down to personal branding, so think about the message you want your brand to send to prospects. A great website and striking logo counts for nothing if you don’t form a strong bond with the client at that first meeting.
“Often I have gone into offices and thought, ‘This is a wonderful person; they’ve got a great personality, they dress well, good eye contact, and the moment I shake their hand I know then why they’re not actually being selected to look after the client, because they don’t send that vital confidence and trust. That really is such a huge energy - that good strong, handshake - and eye contact,” Ms Campion explained.
Think about the impression you want to create and then assess if your actions match that image, she advised. “You can’t really fake that sort of thing; it is what you’d be if you weren’t being watched.”
Communication across the generations
Once past the initial meeting, it pays to consider the core values of the person you are dealing with. Are they a grandparent who has lived through a depression and a war and so is used to delayed gratification, or are they a 30-something who just wants everything to be done without any problems?
“If you’re dealing with the more senior people you need to give them answers; you need to choose your words carefully with them. They don’t have an email address, you need to speak slowly with them, you need to be respectful, not looking down and taking your text messages because that would be insulting to them,” Ms Campion said, adding a well-ironed white shirt and tie would work better in this instance than a purple shirt and tie, and it’s best to discuss everything in person rather than send a text.
Business etiquette includes choosing the right words for each person. “Hey, what’s up?” is fine for someone from Generation Y, but not appropriate for a Baby Boomer couple. “You’re talking about a huge responsibility of selling, probably, their most valuable asset so, therefore, they’ve got to feel that you’re going to do the best for them and speak to them in a language they understand.
"I think that when you’re dealing with vendors, when you step into their home and look around the walls, have a look around and it’ll tell you their storyline. You just need to just align with that, and respect whatever generation that is," she added.
Negotiate by personality
Negotiation can be a touchy point with many, so study your client’s personality type before diving in. There are different negotiation rules dependent on the person. Dominant characters, influencers and shy people will all need different styles, so being assertive will work sometimes, while highlighting key competencies will work at other times.
"Younger people are very pragmatic, so they don’t want to hear the Sales 101, they don’t like that and see straight through it. With negotiation, look at the individual and the personality. I would be really studying my vendors," Ms Campion said.
When negotiating between vendors and buyers, keep in mind the real estate agent is the conduit between the two parties and the one who brings everything together, so you should be available whenever they need you.
Real estate agents sometimes find themselves in a sensitive situation where tact is the key, such as handling a sale resulting from a divorce or a deceased estate. Do your homework so you can protect the vendor as much as possible. “We don’t want to go in and say, ‘Oh look, there’s a war going on here’. That won’t go far in real estate. When you protect your vendors, the buyer will like that because they will be a vendor too.” As the buyer may also be a vendor, that relationship is just as important as the one you have with the vendors themselves. Anything you can do, like providing them with keys or an extra inspection (with the vendor’s permission, of course), will add to their good opinion of you.
“They’re going to be your vendor. When it’s over you put them into your database, with a six months or twelve months contact date to hand write a card to them to congratulate them and ask ‘are you enjoying your new home?’” Ms Campion said.
Contact etiquette
When it comes to ongoing communication via your CRM (customer relationship manager) system, there is also etiquette around how often you should make contact. Ms Campion suggested sending a personalised newsletter via the CRM system rather than pressing 'send' on a bulk email. This way you can tailor your language to suit the prospect and they get to know you as a reliable and professional person they will look to for advice. “They will come to you because you looked after them. Perhaps their son is looking for something, or their aunty is considering selling; that’s the person you want to be,” she said.
Ultimately following correct business etiquette comes down to considering how you would like to be treated if you were in the same situation, Ms Campion advised. “I don’t like being railroaded. Core values tell you what kind of character they’ve developed and how they spend money,” she said, and that will tell you how to approach the relationship.
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