How did I know she would love it? I listened.

As real estate professionals, we serve our clients best when we listen. That seems like common sense, but I get a few new clients each year who fired their agent because he/she didn't listen to their thoughts and desires. It's critical to listen all the way through the deal. Some information is information that can be used after the deal as well. 

I love thanking my buyers and sellers with a gift when the sale is done. Sometimes, that gift can be as simple as a gift card to a local restaurant or a Home Depot or Lowe's card for move in supplies or whatever they need to get started with their new home. 

One of the most enjoyable ways to thank my clients is to give them a gift that is directly related to something I picked up on during the sale process. That might mean new lock-sets, hanging a light fixture, replacing a door, or it might be something unique to that particular client. It might be something that was related a teasing moment or a moment when the client was thinking out loud.

I have a special position in this business because I've remodeled houses and I have an electrical contracting company. I've had a lot of great experiences with clients after the deal. Over the last year, I replaced an exterior door for a client because it had a cat door in it and it led to the garage. There was concern that I picked up from the client about carbon monoxide leaking into the house through the cat door. No problem. My gift was a new installed exterior door. 

Another client, was talking about replacing all of her light fixtures while we did the walk-through. No problem, my electrical contracting company dropped by after closing and replaced the fixtures. 

Recently a new first-time buyer was nervous about someone having a key to the exterior doors on her house. We got that. I dropped by and replaced both lock-sets and cut in a third on on her attached shed. My son also added GFI receptacles to her kitchen counters.

The most recent, and one of the most fun gifts, related to a series of wacky cabinet door knobs that the seller had on cabinets. The buyer talked about those knobs over and over. She thought they were really unusual. Only a few out of about 18 matched. They were all different shapes and sizes and colors.

This buyer decided to replace all of her kitchen cabinets before moving in. My contracting company did the electrical updates and I was there when Habitat for Humanity showed up to carry away the old cabinets. I grabbed all of those old knobs before the cabinets were loaded onto the truck, and then I made a coat rack out of them. I dropped it by the house a few weeks after closing and my client was over the moon for the gift. How did I know she would love it? I listened. Make your time and your gifts memorable, and you'll have clients, client friends and family and co-workers for life.

 

1. Buying your first home in Winchester VA

2. Winchester, VA Real Estate Year in Review - 2016

3. Ten promises I make to every real estate client.

4. Winchester, VA - The best bedroom community for the Washington, D.C. area

5. Passion is contagious - Infect somebody!

6. Winchester, Virginia is a great place to buy a house at great discount!

7. This simple electrical test could save your life.

8. Turn setbacks into springboards

9. Reduce your mortgage by pre-paying principle and eliminating interest

10. What can I do to sell my home more quickly?

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Give me a call, or email me for all your real estate needs, and let's make something amazing happen. 

mikecooper@cbginc.net, 888-722-6029

Cell: 540-336-5522

 

Real Estate Sales and Property Management         

 

 

(Disclaimer:  All grammatical mistakes, punctuation breakdowns and misspellings are purely for your amusement and entertainment.   Feel free to cackle.)