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As any successful real estate agent will tell you, best practice starts with great prospecting. And the key to that is the call list.
But there’s more to it than just picking up the phone and making contact with people.
Long before you dial the number, you need to implicitly understand the reason for your call, the value it will provide to the recipient, and the key things you hope to take away from that conversation.
It’s the alpha and omega of real estate
I often describe the call list as the “alpha” and “omega” of real estate.
The alpha is the actual list. The omega is making the calls. But in between, it’s all about knowing who to call and what to say.
And there’s more involved in this in-between phase than many agents appreciate. The call needs to involve a great dialogue with the purpose of creating relevant outcomes.
Depending on the scenario, those outcomes are:
· To create a listing opportunity.
· To extract an offer.
· To seek a referral.
· To build trust.
· To become memorable.
· To be of value.
· To gain permission for future contact.
Ideally, each call you make will check the box of a few of these outcomes, allowing both you and the call recipient to walk away with something of value.
Every client has a need
Long before you pick up the phone, it’s important to recognise that every client has a need.
The phone call should involve meeting that need and providing a service.
That’s how you become valuable to that client and establish yourself as a trusted adviser they call on now or in the future.
Our job is to uncover that need and keep it front of mind throughout any conversation.
And depending on the situation, those needs might vary.
Your client might require:
· Advice on the property market, and your opinion on where it’s headed.
· Insight into recent sales in their area and the prices these properties have commanded.
· A guide to the possible value of their property in the current market.
· An honest conversation about whether now is a good time to sell or not.
· Help with getting from where they are now to where they want to be when it comes to their property requirements.
· Insight into whether there are opportunities to purchase available.
· Honest feedback on whether the offer they’ve presented is likely to be successful, and what they might need to do to ensure that’s the case.
It’s about finding a solution
Some agents have a misconception about the true nature of our role, mistakenly believing it’s simply to help people buy or sell a property.
Yes, that’s what we do, but our purpose is to actually find solutions. It involves uncovering a client’s needs and facilitating the solution that helps them achieve that aim.
And here’s the clincher… It’s not just about having the conversation, it’s about following it up through action and confirmation.
Adding leverage to your calls
If you’re looking to amplify the conversations you have with your clients, then I’d strongly suggest the following strategy.
Send a handwritten card as a follow-up after every significant conversation. That’s how you add leverage. That extra layer of follow-up amplifies the value of the call.
It keeps you front of mind for the client, confirms what you’ve told them verbally and illustrates their needs are your priority.
It’s also simple and highly effective.
Consider this:
· Five cards a week will impact 250 of your contacts in a year.
· 10 cards per week will reach 500.
· 20 cards per week will total 1000!
The strategy is sound. The power is in the execution.
Manos Findikakis is the CEO of Agents’Agency
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