Relationships matter in every business, but for real estate professionals, relationships are paramount. As important as relationships are, managing those most critical to your business requires careful thought and action. So how do you know where you need to spend the most time developing relationships that will support you and your business? Read on for the top three relationships you must manage as a successful real estate professional.
Your Community
When people are buying or selling real estate, they aren’t just committing to the transaction—they are committing to you. They know that a real estate professional is vital to their goals, and they need to be able to trust you and recommend you. So how do you build an image that people can trust?
Get involved in your community! Be there to help support local events, attend town meetings, volunteer whenever and wherever you can. By getting yourself out there you are not only showing that you care about your community, but you are also creating opportunities to interact with people in a non-sales situation. This will give you the best (and sometimes only) chance to show people just how great you are outside of a sale, and that can make all the difference when it comes time to find or recommend an agent or broker.
Maya Angelou could have been thinking of real estate professionals when she penned these words: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Live up to your best self in the eyes of your community, and you will find yourself not only with contacts and leads, but friends you can rely on.
Local Real Estate Associations
The best resource for knowledge is a fellow real estate professional, especially someone who has been in the business for a long time or who has worked in unique or difficult sales situations. These professional friends will let you in on their horror stories, success stories, marketing advice, and local contractor recommendations (or warnings). And they’ll be there to provide feedback and advice you can trust.
Get to know these very important people by being present and active in your local real estate association and groups. Join your local real estate professional associations to become active and involved. Put your best foot forward and do whatever you can to be a resource for your fellow business professionals, so that when they need to recommend someone, they choose you.
You – The Virtual You
Yes, your relationship with your online self is important—very important. These days, social media can make or break a person in any industry. For real estate professionals, it’s even more important. If a potential contact hasn’t had the pleasure of meeting you, they may turn to online reviews to gauge whether or not they want to work with you. They may look at your website, your Twitter account, your blog, or even your Facebook page. These are great tools that you can use to point out just how positive, trustworthy, thoughtful, and intelligent you are, but only if you manage your online presence well. That means keeping current with your social channels and the activity happening on them. At least three times a week, if not once daily, sit down and go through all of your social media accounts, Google/Yahoo/Yelp reviews, and anywhere else your name might pop up. Make sure that what you find promotes you instead of hurts you. Respond quickly to inquires, and make sure to thank and say ‘hello’ to new people who connect with you.
Learn more about how you can use social media to promote your real estate business.
You can’t control the market, real estate news, the weather, or the economy. But you can manage the relationships that will build you up and turn you into the successful real estate professional you know you can be. Get active in your community, participate in your local professional associations, and get your online presence to work in your favor. In doing so, you will set yourself up for more leads, sales and a stronger long-term career.
