Expert Tips
Lead Based Paint: What it Means for Your Disclosure Form
Learn about lead-based paint and how it relates to your disclosure forms.
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Depending on the area in which you work, you may have an abundance of competition to secure listings. To ensure you don’t get swallowed up in a sea of anonymity, follow these six simple steps to stand out amongst your peers and snag those home sellers.
This may seem like common sense, but you would be surprised by how many people don’t respond to potential clients. By responding to calls and emails in a timely manner, you’re effectively weeding a lot of your competition. Oftentimes, home sellers will send out a blanket of emails to potential real estate agents, and it’s the first person who responds that often gets the job.
Whatever the reason, it’s always good to follow up. When all is said and done, your prompt communication will be at the forefront of a client’s brain and they’ll be much more likely to recommend you to a family member or friend in the future.
It’s also important to always match whatever form of communication was sent to you — be it text, email, Skype, or phone. Unless specified, people always expect to hear back from you via whatever mode was sent to you.
Many people test potential agents before they even call or email. They do this by reading old social media posts. Don’t think of it as an invasion of privacy. Instead, think of it as a way to get a one-up on your peers.
Obviously you need to be kind and courteous on all of your posts, and, if you can, refrain from posting anything political or divisive because you never know who you might offend and for what reason.
Also, don’t post anything that puts you in a less than ideal light. Your Saturday night get together with your closest friends may seem harmless to you and them, but to a stranger may make you appear reckless. Block your personal account and create a business page as well.
Facebook is probably the best platform to be on, but also consider Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, and even YouTube. In short, the bigger professional online presence you create, the better. It gives leads validation that you know what you’re doing, especially if you incorporate testimonials from former clients.
It’s easy to make a professional-looking website these days. If you don’t have one already, take a weekend and hammer one out. There are a variety of options to choose from these days, but your best bet (if you have zero web development skills) is probably either WordPress or Squarespace. WordPress has a few more functions you can use, but Squarespace is often easier for people with no experience.
The purpose of the website is twofold — it can be used to further your professional web presence, and it can be used as a lead generator. Contact forms, FAQs, your bio, and referrals are just some of the pages to include on your website. You could even make a video introduction, post it on YouTube, and post it on your homepage. There are many options to generate leads through a website.
Another stand-out service to offer potential home sellers is a streamlined closing process. There’s so much paperwork involved that providing an automated platform can serve as a major differentiator between you and the competition.
A disclosure platform like Sellers Shield™ tracks action items and completed steps so that everyone is always on the same page. Your seller clients don’t need to worry about signing in person or figuring out a way to print and scan all of the necessary files.
Many real estate agents, in an attempt to appear approachable, dress in casual clothes. Though you don’t need to wear a business suit to every meeting, you should always appear put together. Workout clothes, sneakers, flip flops, and untucked shirts have no place at any meeting with a client.
You should appear to live, eat, and breathe real estate at all times, so that potential clients will be more likely to trust you with the sale of their home. Dress otherwise, and you’ll give the impression that you have better things to do than help them.
It’s also a good idea to be dressed and ready for impromptu client meetings. This way you’re always ready to meet new leads and make a lasting impression.
If you have enough history with selling homes, it’s likely you’ve built up a specialty with selling certain kinds of real estate over others. Though you don’t want to limit yourself, you should not be afraid to state what you’re good at.
Use your website and social media posts to state and emphasize your specialty, whether it’s a certain neighborhood or a type of loan. When the home seller has to make a choice between you and a competitor, if you clearly state what your specialties are, it’s highly likely you’ll push yourself into the lead. Plus, if you can get a few referrals on your website to further substantiate your claim, you’ll have an even stronger case for yourself.
Don’t think that declaring a specialty inhibits your ability to get a variety of leads — it doesn’t. A good agent is a good agent. However, having a niche can help you get a majority of certain types of leads, which is not something you want to turn away.
Getting started with these suggestions may take some time. Work on mastering one step at a time. Once you become proficient with one, move on to the next. The most important thing is to follow up with clients and appear professional at all times.
Learn about lead-based paint and how it relates to your disclosure forms.
The industry leader in online disclosure forms, Sellers Shield™, now supports the state of Missouri
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