Having a website is no longer enough

No matter how long you've been in the business, you've probably already started to find more and more of what I call "super-buyers" and "super-sellers".  These were yesterday's buyers and sellers who are now armed with a vast array of information and education we've seldom before seen.  From the constantly increasing availability of information on the Internet, to the many real-estate related shows now on television, this new generation of buyers and sellers has raised the bar.  In doing so, they're forcing us, as agents, to step up our game if we're to be recognized as residential real estate experts.   

With this new era of buyers and sellers, it's no longer sufficient to just have a website.  Even more crucial, at least to my business, is having a fully integrated and automated system for keeping in touch with my clients before, during, and after the sale.  That's why I use XSellerate.

It puts makes those personal touches right at your fingertips, and it's so simple.  When I get a new client referred to me I immediately enter their contact information into my XSite contact database, along with any other information I can get (kids names, birthdates, anniversaries, etc.).  I then assign that contact to a "group" (buyer, seller, investor, renter, etc.)  Total time?  About 15 minutes.

The very next step for me is to build an ongoing, automatic campaign that matches their status.  If they're a buyer, I will set them up to receive "Steps to Homeownership" which talks about getting pre-approved, lists which documents they'll need, discusses why they have to get pre-approved before I'll start driving them around, and includes a few suggestions of lenders or Mortgage Brokers that I recommend. 

Next they'll receive campaigns that talk about "What to expect when a contract has been written", "What goes on in the 30 days of purchasing your home", "Why home inspections are necessary", and others. 

The great thing is, XSellerate has dozens of pre-written, spot on campaigns to choose from but there's an added bonus... you can edit any of them or completely write your own and add it to your campaign library for future use. 

The benefits are clear.  I am providing a service that most agents don't.  I am educating them to remove some of their anxiety.  Remember, we have sold countless homes and we know what to expect in the home buying or selling process. However this might be our clients' very first home and they may be pretty nervous, even if they don't say so.  If you fail to communicate with them pro-actively, you could be hurting your chances of earning a true referral later.

Next, I increase their e-mail campaigns about 12 days from our closing with educational pieces like, "Transfer and set up of utilities", "Don't forget to forward your mail" and others, to help them remember the simple things that easily get overlooked in the hustle bustle of the final days before closing. 

I have had many of my e-mails forwarded to my clients friends and family members only to have them come back and hire me BECAUSE of my correspondence. Think about that.  I send them somewhere around 10 e-mails (which are all automatic) and potentially pick up 3 new clients over the course of a year. That's a great return on investment.

After the sale, I do the typical follow up with birthdates and home ownership anniversary emails. Then in a couple of years, I'll send "Your amortization has peaked; is it time to remove your PMI?"  In short, I can talk to my clients for years because I spent 15 minutes the very first day I met them to input them into my automated follow-up system (XSellerate). 

Being committed to spending those precious few minutes up front to enter those contacts into XSellerate has netted me many, many clients years later.  For me, XSellerate is perhaps the most crucial component to growing my business - even more so than my website, especially in a difficult market.

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