If I could go back and give my newbie-agent-self advice, I would say: Connect with a skilled mortgage and escrow professional early on and use their expertise and loyalty to your clients' advantage.
When I started out, like all newbies, I received invitations from mortgage and escrow professionals to meet for lunch or for coffee. Enticements like helping to pay for my advertising started rolling in and free flyer boxes piled up on my desk. I felt that if I picked one lender or escrow officer over another, the others would be upset and I may end up paying for it at a later date. I tried to be fair and rotate through the various professionals. When clients asked for referral contacts, I'd give them a list of names.
I treat every client like a VIP. They get my full dedication and time. It dawned on me that they did not get treated like VIPs with the industry related professionals because I was not a VIP to them. I was only an occasional source of business. I had spread myself out instead of picking the best and sticking with them. Once I figured that out, I started taking mortgage brokers and escrow people to lunch. I asked other brokers about their experience with related services professionals and picked my crew of dependable and skilled partners. My agreement with them is that they can keep all their gadgets, gifts and goodies, and instead focus on giving exceptional service and priority to my clients' needs. In return I will be loyal to them.
This has made a big difference in the overall experience my clients have with the real estate transaction, as they are treated like VIPs from the mortgage side, the inspection side all the way to the closing table. By cementing those professional relationships I now have substantial clout and can pull strings for my clients that I could otherwise not pull.
I emphasize to my clients when I recommend a professional that I have no personal relationship with these individuals. There is nothing in it for me, other than knowing that they are in good hands.
My advice to agents starting out: Build a solid professional support team around you right from the beginning. Your clients will thank you for it.
Sandy Nelson
Olympia Realtor®, GRI, ASP, SRES, SFR
360-789-7505
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