Today I met with a buyer for a consultation. As we sat down to discuss her relocation to Franklin, I asked how she'd found me. She chuckled and then said, "You're probably going to find this a little funny."
When she moved here two months ago, she signed up on every agent website she could find. She didn't realize at the time that all these sites have access to all the listings. She thought each site would have that particular agent's listings only. She included her cell number as a contact number. She said these agents have been calling her incessantly. She believes their behavior is borderline harrassment.
Anyhow, she said I was the only agent who didn't call her. She was so surprised by this that she gave my website address to a friend and asked her to register. That person did and never heard from me either. They receive my property updates daily and a monthly market report but no phone calls. When it came time to actually connect with an agent, she reached out to me. All because I let her search at her heart's content until she was ready to buy.
There is always lots of discussion about forced registration versus not. I do have forced registration. While the information provided by buyers gives me the ability to connect with them, I don't usually do that until they reach out to me. I learned early on that not every person who registers is an actual buyer. Many times they may even have an agent.
The buyers who don't have an agent find the property updates invaluable. The listings they receive keep them apprised of our current market. When they see something of interest, they call or email to schedule a showing. I already have three appointments scheduled this week using this method.
Since they are registered users, I can see properties they've recently viewed on my site and look at homes they've saved as favorites. This information helps me better serve them as a buyer's agent. I know the style and features of homes they like without actually having to ask them.
I am currently working on additional ways to encourage buyers to reach out to me more often but it won't include me calling them multiple times a week. I'll continue to provide them excellent information about our market and when the time is right, they will connect with me.
I was the only agent who didn't call her and I got the job. There's something to be said for providing excellent information and then giving buyers space to explore on their own.
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