It is funny how situations come up that remind you of the proper way to do things. Gayle and I are Realtors in Hawaii, Oahu to be more specific. Being Realtors, we as all Realtors do, pride ourselves on our "Customer Service". The big question is what is "Customer Service"?
The flat out answer is that Customer Service is different to all people. Every client has their own, often-unique perception of what they think it is. In turn, every real estate professional has his or her own idea of what customer service is too. So how does one provide excellent "Customer Service" if it is different to all people?
Well, one has to start with a "Base Line" of customer service founded in professionalism. This means returning calls promptly, as well as emails, continually educating oneself about the market and technology, informing and educating your clients throughout the buying or selling process, listening to your client regarding what is important to them, and always putting your client's needs ahead of your own. That is the base line for good customer service.
Then we get into how we do our jobs and the position we take in providing excellent service. This afternoon, as we were leaving a signing downtown, an old friend who is a local attorney passed us in the lobby of the building and stopped to say, "Hi". As we were chatting, he could not hold in his frustration any longer. He needed to vent. He explained that he had been looking for a new home for some time and his best friend was his Realtor. They had finally found a home and wanted it so badly that he actually offered $10,000 over the list price. His agent wrote up his offer, suggesting the deposit amounts and so forth.
The offer went in and the seller accepted another offer for less money. It seems that the other interested party had offered to put more money into escrow as the initial deposit and a hefty additional deposit to boot which made the other buyer look more qualified. Our friend's agent never explained how larger deposits will impact the seller's decision when comparing offers. A great agent will educate his/her client all the way through the process so that client can make better, more informed decisions. This is a HUGE part of excellent customer service.
In today's market, you need...strike that...have to have a great agent. There are not many "Cookie Cutter" contracts or deals any more. We shake trees and WORK HARD for our clients and never assume they know the "Hows & Whys" of any part of the buying and selling process. We always work to maintain open communications with our clients. Successful transactions depends on educating and informing our clients regarding the real estate process and then allowing them to make the decision on what best fits their situation. Educate.
Mike Ramsey Fujita and Gayle Fujita Ramsey are Buyers and Sellers Real Estate Agents in Honolulu Hawaii. With 20 years of experiance between them, they have seen every nook and kranny of the Island as well as markets rise and fall. With the combination of high real property inventory levels and low interest rates, this is an excellent to purchase a home on Oahu. They would love to work for you, please call them at (808) 630-1828 today.
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