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The Buyer Said "Thank You!"...That Got Me Thinking About Referrals...

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with MoonDancer Realty, Dillsboro,NC NC# 218097

 

 

Wouldn’t you agree that the most efficient business model is working byMoonDancer Logo copyright MoonDancerRealty 2010 referral and that most of our buyers haven’t the slightest idea of all the things we accomplish for them? Wouldn’t it make it simpler for buyers to refer us to other potential business if they HAD a better idea of exactly what we do for them? Yesterday, I kept the buyer informed of the way my day was spent on their behalf…and they said Thank You!

We met with their surveyor early and reviewed the new survey and flood elevation certificate. Then I saw their attorney to give him the Mylar and two copies to record the survey at the same time as the deed.

Rules have changed since the last vacant land deal we had and the attorney informed me that all surveys need County approval before recordation. He thought the charge would be anywhere from $125 to $350. Oh great, the buyers weren’t anticipating this charge. The attorney offered to take it to the courthouse when they had a chance to just see IF there would be any problem getting it approved. I took it to the courthouse since time is running short on the Buyer’s Due Diligence. The Planning Inspector explained that approval fees occur if someone is subdividing from an original tract. Thank goodness - no charge. Got his stamp of approval and returned to the attorney.

Afterwards I made arrangements for a septic evaluation for the property. We needed authorization from the seller to do that, so I got his contact information from the listing agent and got in touch with the seller. We met with him at the office, got the necessary signatures, ran a copy of the survey and application to the Health Department and now we’ll meet the county on site Thursday.

Our buyers are in Ohio. It’s a tremendous amount of running around even if you’re here. Being out of state and coordinating all these things would be extremely frustrating.

The job of REALTORS isn’t simply unlocking doors and handing out listing sheets. We’re here to do whatever needs to be done to facilitate the contracts and all the minutiae inherent with each deal. I know all of our buyers have appreciated that they made it successfully to the closing table but maybe we do them and ourselves a disservice to not let them know everything we are handling for them. How else are we able to establish a value for our service and to secure the ultimate treasure…more referrals?

Most of our business is through referral from clients who recognize the caliber and quantity of work we perform for them but perhaps we aren’t seeking the business in as intentional of a manner as I thought we were. What an eye opener it was for this buyer to email late in the day yesterday after hearing all we’d been through for them and begin the email with those precious words..."Thank You ! !”

 

 

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Sandy Acevedo
951-290-8588 - Chino Hills, CA
RE/MAX Masters, Inland Empire Homes for Sale

Hi Mona, this a great reminder about all we do.... we are seriously underpaid...LOL.                   

Aug 18, 2012 03:25 AM
Ron Marshall
Marshall Enterprises - Saint Michael, MN
Birdhouse Builder Extraordinaire

Good job, Mona. That is why they pay you the big bucks!  LOL! 

Charlie is so cute with his "mustache". 

Aug 18, 2012 03:51 AM
Gene Mundt, IL/WI Mortgage Originator - FHA/VA/Conv/Jumbo/Portfolio/Refi
NMLS #216987, IL Lic. 031.0006220, WI Licensed. APMC NMLS #175656 - New Lenox, IL
708.921.6331 - 40+ yrs experience

Mona:  I agree with you.  When you DO a good job, clients should be aware of it ... or made aware.  And that can be accomplished in a subtle manner, not using heavy-handed methods.  In an industry, such as ours, where we rely heavily on referrals, we need to be able to ask for them after earning that right.  I'm amazed at the number of those LO's that forget to simply ask for the referrals and still assume they will come their way.  You eloquently plead our case.  We work hard and hearing that a client understands that and acknowledges it is music to our ears.  Music that many times, we don't hear often enough these days ...

Hopefully they read your message and take it to heart ...

 

Featured in BananaTude! 

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Congratulations!

Gene

Aug 18, 2012 04:10 AM
Clint Mckie
Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections - Carlsbad, NM
Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586

Hi Mona,

Nothing like a great referral to start off the day. Keeping those handy will help when a client asks for one or two or three....

Have a great day in Sylva.

Best, Clint Mckie

Aug 18, 2012 05:12 AM
David Burrows
Classic Realty - Fairfax, VA
No Pressure, Just Seriously Devoted to Real Estate

Great post today... Many really do not understand what we do. Thanks for sharing.

Aug 18, 2012 05:21 AM
Hella Mitschke Rothwell
(831) 626-4000 - Honolulu, HI
Hawaii & California Real Estate Broker

Hi Mona: To sell Vacant Land takes a lot of effort not to mention that they sell slowly in this economy. Good for you being so on top of it.

Aug 18, 2012 05:24 AM
Debbie Cook
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc - Silver Spring, MD
Silver Spring and Takoma Park Maryland Real Estate

A referal is always the best lead ever! This is a great post.

Aug 18, 2012 05:29 AM
Chris and Dick Dovorany
Homes for Sale in Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero, Florida - Naples, FL
Broker/Associate at Premiere Plus Realty

You take pride in your work and take care of everything for a smooth close.  Thats the way it should be but we get so use to easy deals that when a little work is involved we're overwhelmed.  Great job.  Be proud.

Aug 18, 2012 07:13 AM
Paula Bradfield
Bradfield Ramsey Group - Salida, CO
Your Salida Colorado area Realtor Team

Mona, don't you love it when your normal style turns out like this? There is nothing better than a truly client-centered realtor in a transaction. Great job

Aug 18, 2012 07:43 AM
Mona Gersky
MoonDancer Realty, Dillsboro,NC - Sylva, NC
GRI,IMSD-Taking the mystery out of real estate.

Roger, when you put it that way it makes a lot of sense.

Pat, it really did feel good but more importantly it gave me a great focus.

Sharon, hah!  that's an easy deal, you should see the list on the others lol.

Sea to Sky, thanks.  we need to be reminded occasionally!

Sandy, my theory on that is we are seriously underpaid when they don't close.

Ron, thanks. Charlies is pretty adorable and he could definitely be a distant cousin to your boys.

Gene, I love seeing those banana suits.  We were all brought up to not brag I think and sometimes when we get involved in telling our clients what we've accomplished it feels like bragging.  Now that I read over it, so many of us have a lot to be boastful about!

Hi Clint,  love the referrals...my favorite kind of business.

David, thanks.  Sometimes I think even other REALTORS have no idea of what should be done.

Hella, it feels great to have vacant land under contract.

Debbie, referrals are the greatest compliment ever.

Chris and Dick, I don't know about getting used to easy deals...those are a dim memory.  If I got an easy deal, I'd probably trip, lol.

Paula, what an awesome comment.  It is business as usual for us.

Aug 18, 2012 08:38 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Part of my "updating" buyers and sellers includes emails of "what I did" for that deal/ property each week.  It's done wonders.

Aug 18, 2012 08:43 AM
Harry F. D'Elia III
WEDO Real Estate and Beyond, LLC - Phoenix, AZ
Investor , Mentor, GRI, Radio, CIPS, REOs, ABR

We are a lead generation machine. Referrals are always nice to receive when building a business. Icing on the cake

Aug 18, 2012 09:02 AM
Gay E. Rosen
Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty - Larchmont, NY
As Real as Real Estate Gets!

Mona-  great post.. Of course we love referrals, and so many times we do not ask for them.. Letting  clients know exactly what you have done on their behalf in one day no less is important..  and it is also important to kindly request you refer them to others.. I WOULD if I were your clients! You have done a great service to these one set of clients alone...

Aug 18, 2012 10:00 AM
Mona Gersky
MoonDancer Realty, Dillsboro,NC - Sylva, NC
GRI,IMSD-Taking the mystery out of real estate.

Tammy, that's a great idea.

Harry, we have to remember to never stop generating new business.

Gay, thanks. Keeping people informed should make a big difference.

Aug 18, 2012 01:08 PM
Jill Sackler
Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. 516-575-7500 - Long Beach, NY
LI South Shore Real Estate - Broker Associate

This post would have been great for Bob's contest last week about all we do for a client/customer.

Aug 18, 2012 01:23 PM
Tammie White, Broker
Franklin Homes Realty LLC - Franklin, TN
Franklin TN Homes for Sale

It's really our own fault that clients don't understand what we do with our time. We should all do exactly what you have done here. Keep our clients informed on all we do for them.

Aug 18, 2012 02:35 PM
Laura Murray
Weichert - Silver Spring, MD
Search Montgomery Co., MD for homes www.MDRealEstateOnline.com

How true there are so many behind the scenes things that agents do that clients are not aware of.  And of course the better the agent the more seamless the transaction, and the less the client is aware of all the behind the scene actions.

Aug 18, 2012 04:02 PM
Mona Gersky
MoonDancer Realty, Dillsboro,NC - Sylva, NC
GRI,IMSD-Taking the mystery out of real estate.

Hi Jill, I guess we do enough for clients that I managed this and the other post, lol.

Erica, if they did then they might have the same stress we do.

Tammie, that's my new motto for business.

Laura, pretty sure most of our clients just thought the job was seamless, but didn't understand what we did to make it so.

Aug 18, 2012 10:51 PM
Robert Sole
REM Inspections LLC - Winter Springs, FL

My business is mostly referrals also.  I get a lot of very nice compliments from my customers and a number of referrals from them.  The one thing I have started doing recently is sending a follow up email to remind them that I am available for questions and in that email, I am starting to ask for reviews.  Reviews are very helpful in improving search engine placement and I now ask that they provied me with their opinion of my work.  It seems to be getting good results.

Aug 19, 2012 05:42 AM
Mona Gersky
MoonDancer Realty, Dillsboro,NC - Sylva, NC
GRI,IMSD-Taking the mystery out of real estate.

Robert, asking for reviews is a great idea...thanks for the suggestion.

Aug 19, 2012 02:10 PM