How will you set yourself apart from the competition? By offering superior client relationships, a topic discussed in RISMedia's recent webinar, "The 5-Star Review: How to Create Legendary Client Experiences," sponsored by MoxiWorks and moderated by Verl Workman, founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems.
Panelists included Scott Parker, vice president of Sales and Marketing at John Greene REALTOR®; Edward Tull, director of Technology and Process Management at JB Goodwin REALTORS®; and Georgia Perez, vice president of Business Development at MoxiWorks.
How can brokerages and agents consistently garner rave client reviews, bolstering the status of their business and leading to higher levels of referral business?
The most direct method? Ask for feedback.
"We ask every one of our clients that closes with us to give a review," said Tull. "First, we do a survey and, if we get negative feedback, it goes to the sales manager and they address the issue before the problem is voiced publicly. Then we send them a link to Google reviews."
Additionally, utilizing those positive experiences in a productive way can lead to improvements and more profitable relationships down the road.
"We tell our agents, bring your best #clientforlife idea and share it. Some phenomenal customer experiences are being created this way, and our job is to be a conduit to make sure they are shared and implemented," said Parker.
But first, set expectations.
Of course, setting the stage is crucial. If a brokerage has a low bar set for its agents, they'll, in turn, set a low bar for their clients. The key to a successful client relationship that ends in a five-star review? Educating agents on what to expect and informing them to do the same for clients.
"Expectations are a huge thing. We truly believe in the fundamentals of training agents in what everything looks like—how to enter a home, how to have extreme professionalism in the industry, etc.," said Parker. "Laying the groundwork for what it's going to feel like, such as what could go right and what could go wrong, prepares clients—it sets the proper expectation."
Part of that expectation? That agents will follow up. Tull believes one of the biggest client complaints is against agents that do not communicate enough—they need to stay in contact. Additionally, it's about being on time, doing what you say you are going to do and finishing what you start, says Tull. This creates a trickle-down effect that leads to a seamless experience and the removal of client doubt.
"It's top-down management. Get you agents to trust you and they will follow you according to that special sauce your brokerage has to make it successful," says Perez.
Use technology to assist you, but not as a crutch.
"Tech is there to create more belly to belly experiences," Workman reminds brokers and agents.
While technology performs well as a supplement to existing person-to-person strategies, full reliance on innovative software will not lead to the five-star client experience that brokerages are looking to offer.
"If at the end of the day, there isn't a human, we aren't creating a human experience," says Perez.
Workman agreed, stating "Authentic relationships don't happen on social media, that's just a tool we use to get close to [clients]."
To learn more about creating five-star, legendary experiences for your clients, check out the webinar recording below:
To view more webinars from RISMedia, subscribe to our YouTube playlist.
