A wise friend, Ira Serkes, shared this thought with me today on my Facebook Wall:
So Ira got me thinking - about 92% of my business comes from referrals: from my friends, family and clients. Many of my clients are also my friends - if they aren't my friends before we do business together, by the time we are finished, they have become friends. They stay in my life, becoming a source of future business while remaining, if not close friends, then at least casual friends who are happy to stay in touch via email, Facebook, the occasional phone call. They are, at the risk of sounding cliché, my biggest fans, at least from a professional standpoint. They are the reason my business continues to grow and in large part deserving of thanks for many of my successes!
Therefore, as Ira pointed out,
they are not ever in my past. They are just my clients, plain and simple. The ones who end up being "past" clients are the rare ones who do not wish to establish a more personal relationship. Because after all, the business of real estate is more than just business - it's extremely personal. You learn your clients' tastes (and they probably learn about yours, too), their financial situation; you get a first-hand look at a husband and wife's relationship and how they deal with potentially stressful situations; you become their confidante, psychologist, counselor, decorator, negotiator, and - oh yes! REALTOR®! You wear many hats, one of which, if you're lucky, is also friend.
It's one of the many reasons that I love what I do. Every day and every client is different - it's truly a fabulous career and I wouldn't trade it for anything!
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Maura Neill, ABR, CRS, MA
The Gebhardt Group
RE/MAX Greater Atlanta
10220 Medlock Bridge Road
Johns Creek, GA 30097
(770) 238-0595
email: Maura@GebhardtGroup.com
website: http://www.GebhardtGroup.com/
blog: http://www.GebhardtGroupBlog.com/
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