Clients. Friends. Or Both?

Great post and spot on. One of my dearest and oldest friends sold me my first home and remains my friend to this day some 40 years later. That is Michael Craig, husband to none other than Danielle Kennedy, author of many best selling RE books and a world class RE motivational speaker. Danielle started out as Michael's greeting and hospitality hostess (Mission Viejo Company) and mother of 6 children when I met her with Michael and then went on out of shear desperation and necessity with Michael to build a RE dynasty. You just never know when one of your clients will become one of your best friends.

It's easier to keep on a friendly bases with my clients, rather than become best buds with them! (Although, I have become great friends with a few clients!)  Most of my clients don't live here; Ocean City is a second home/investment market! They live 3-4 hours away and only visit occasionally! They "hear" from my regularly, but I don't socialize with them on a daily routine.

This is very true. In real estate the blinds are very blurred.

I've had clients end up spending Thanksgiving with us we grow so close.

That is the best part of being in Real Estate. I now have a huge extended family thanks to all of my great clients.

I love it! Teh same thing happens to me and I now have some wonderful new friends to add to my exisiting mix of friends. It's one of the perks of being in the business:)

Craig--My clients do become my friends, but that is not always a good thing!  There are only so many hours in a day.  If i do 50-70 transactions a year and add that many new friends and more(married couples), I will have more friends than Justin Bieber!

Our success depends on building and maintaining relationships, so depending on your CRM process, you can be proactive or reactive. Regardless, it's up to us to determine how we build and maintain those relationships. The more friends I have, the more opportunities I could discover, couldn't you?

Oh definitely we become friends...seems like in this market especially where everything takes so long ot close!   LOL  I have laughed...both times i was married I had as many clients at the wedding who had become friends as I had friends!~  through the years I have been invited to many weddings, baby showers and home parties!   it just happens! 

Hi Craig - They all become friends.  It is just a matter of having the time and way to see each other.  I find myself missing many of my clients when the deal is done and am usually melancholy at the close knowing I will miss them.

Craig, How can you possibly have 107 comments and not be featured?

Friends or clients... the line is blurred often. Not sure if my friends are past clients or past clients are friends. It just evolves.

Margaret

Great post...I agree that most of my clients turn into my friends. It's hard to speak them everyday and not have some small talk, afterall we are supose to seem interested in our clients best interest...  Hoe could we do that without actually getting to know them :)

Dealing mostly with CRE is has been surprising how many clients and customers have become friends. It would seem more likely in residential sales. 

The situation that always leaves me uneasy entering into is when a friend wants to become a client or customer. I've seen more than one broker loose great friendships that way.