Dear Realtor, This is Why I Will Use You Again - How to Cultivate Long Term Relationships with Clients

Sharon, I've never heard of that FORD concept, but I think you are absolutely right! It's important to let your clients know that they are more than just your commission. But I think it's even more important to be genuine.

I don't think that many RE Pros can pull that off. To be honest, in my experience, it hasn't rubbed me the right way when an agent gives me "a call" for just whatever reason. It's nice if you already have an existing relationship with your clients, but it doesn't always come across that way to investors.

One instance I can think of - I was busy one day, and I got a call from an agent I used to purchase an apartment. I had only dealt with this person once, almost a year before. Out of the blue, this Agent was on the phone with me for like 10 minutes (I'm not a phone person) - and was asking me all these strange questions and I just did not know where they were coming from. I only knew him for a couple hours during a property sale, and suddenly this agent was asking me weird questions like "how are the kids dealing with college, etc..." I was not close enough with this person for him to be asking me questions like this. He kept going on and on, and I said that I had to go, but he managed to let me know by the end of the phone call that there was a property I might be interested in.

That was not cool... It was not genuine, it was indescribably eerie, and there's just no way I would have ever dealt with that agent ever again. Had he called me, asked how I was doing, and then shared the investment idea - then there's a chance I would have been all ears. But I was so put off by the end, I just wanted to hang up. It was clear to me that he did not have my best interest in mind, especially because he was asking me about things that I know he did not genuinely care about.

Here's an opposite example with a similar setting: An agent that I had used 10 months previously - called me one day out of the blue (around tax season) to ask if it was OK to send my HUD statement to me in the mail. I said "what for, I already had a copy"... She said that there were some expenses that I would want to account for to help me on my taxes and that she would underline the line items and send depreciation instructions for my accountant. I said great! She called me a week later to make sure if I had received her letter, I said yes, she said great. She told me that if my tax person didn't know what she was talking about, she would be willing to explain to the tax person, and she also said that she had some nice people if I didn't have my own tax person.... With that, she told me to have a nice day, and she ended the conversation... I was stunned, no pitch!

A few weeks later, after I did my taxes, and after I realized how much money she saved me, I called her to thank her for helping me out. She told me not to mention it - this was something she did for all her clients. Then she asked me if everything else in my life was going well, and I told her it was. She mentioned something about the crazy weather we had been having, and it sparked a conversation with me over the next half hour (we were talking about how it would suck to go camping, as I had planned). The end result was that I made an appointment with her to look at some new properties. 

Over the last 5 years, I have used this agent 7 times and have given her more than 10 referrals. Now she calls me up every now and then (happy birthday, happy anniversary, Do you want to go with my family to our cabin in Tahoe), we never talk about business! So I invite her to my barbecues - and that's when I approach her to ask about new deals I may be interested in - I set an appointment, and see her later in the week. 

Now that's the kind of relationship I want to have with my agent, and I cannot stress enough. THAT is the way to succeed in the Real Estate Business - cultivate long term relationships. And everything about it is genuine - she makes commission off of me, and she never cuts me any deals - but I'd rather have my money going in her pocket than anyone else's!

TaxMan, I think many businesses, not just real estate, would be more successful if they were upfront to their customers. 

Mindy, that's absolutely right. Real estate is a service business, and it is important to add value to your services.

Rodney, I guess I must be only one on ActiveRain who never heard of the FORD approach prior to this blog!  I'm glad you liked the post.             

Debbie and Sandra, I'm happy to share the information.

Renae, I'm glad you feel the same way and that you like my idea.

Earlene, thank you for your comment. You definitely go above and beyond for your clients - that is very important. I totally agree that most people know that keeping in touch is necessary, yet they don't do it. I think the reason might be because they think it's either too hard or not worth their time, but I think they are mistaken.

Rick, you are on point. Staying in touch after the transaction is one of the only ways to show your clients that you really do care.  

Jeff, I agree - it's very basic - but I also can't explain why more people don't do this.

Doreen, thanks for stopping by, I appreciate your comment... and yes, other folks have left some very nice information.

Very well said.

Unfortunately, I would have to agree with that perception.

Many of the Realtors I've dealt with are only interested on a here and now basis - almost made me feel like they were insurance agents.

I guess that's why the few that are committed to the business for the long term are recognized superior abilities and customer relationships - they certainly set themselves apart from the others in the real estate business.

Once again, very nice comment.