I thought it was going to be a normal listing appointment.  The call came into the office and went something like this: 

"Hello, may I speak with Lola?"

"Yes, this is Lola with Audu Real Estate.  How can I help you?"

"We noticed you had the home down the street listed and wondered if you could come by and let us know what you think about our home?"

Perfunctory comments completed, the appointment was scheduled and subsequently I found myself sitting in their home presenting my Service Proposition.  Except...there was something odd.  The connection or lack of connection indicated that there was something amiss.

When I'd finished, I asked if they had any additional questions or would like to move forward to list their home.  They indicated they would get back to me.  The next day she did.  But it wasn't what I anticipated or expected to hear.  She indicated that prior to contacting me, she had gone by the home we had down the street and had picked up a brochure.  She wondered if I had seen the brochure? 

Our systems tend to be highly automated and finely tuned.  So, although I don't monitor every brochure or marketing piece, once the standard has been set...I have an expectation about what they should look like.  In this particular case, I had not seen the brochure.  When I did, I understood what she told me next. 

The brochure was an amateur version of a black & white cut and paste of an MLS listing...unlike the kind of marketing which ordinarily defined my marketing pieces.  When I questioned my associate, she indicated she had been in a hurry and had just quickly slapped something together. 

Well, it cost me a listing!  Ms. Potential Seller informed me that they were impressed by my presentation and interview.  But she he had called to tell me WHY they were hesitant.  She indicated that after talking to me, she didn't think I knew about the marketing piece that had my company's name on it.  It seemed out of character.

It was a harsh evaluation, but one which I decided to learn from during our frank exchange. I determined to take action.  It was out of this experience that our Audu Real Estate Transaction Evaluation was born.  Every home which is Sold or Purchased through one of our agents is now graded by the Client on a number of different measures of Service. 

Looking back, it was a necessary wake up call for me to clearly understand that what agents and associates do even when you are not looking is incredibly important to the well being of the entire company.  The evaluation served to put our clients in the driver's seat and allowed us to view the results and the process of the transaction through their eyes.

Two Years later...there was another call.  Time had passed.  We had successfully SOLD several homes in this community.  Circumstances had changed for the potential client too.  They had listed with another agent and had not been very satisfied with the service.  She indicated that she had kept that flyer because she appreciated how I responded to the criticism and wanted to give us a Second Chance.

Well, thank God for Second Chances!  Last month we successfully SOLD and CLOSED on their home. The transaction evaluation was completed and sent  back to us BEFORE the closing.  Her score this time...A PERFECT 10! 

Click on this link to see one example of our Marketing on this home and a comment from the seller... 

To learn more about Audu Real Estate and how we can Successfully Market Your Home in a Competitive Market, please contact us at 616-791-0511.

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