How to follow up with unresponsive clients without being pushy
After the National Association of Realtors settlement changed how commission is paid, there was some fear among agents that buyers and sellers might forgo their services in favor of handling the transaction themselves.
For the most part, that hasn’t happened. About 73% of sellers said using a real estate agent is the best way to sell, 69% said selling without an agent is too risky, and 76% said the services they received from their listing agent were worth what they paid, according to a recent study from Clever Real Estate.
However, some sellers had complaints. Nearly 1 in 8 said their agent was more of a hassle than a help — suggesting that some agents might be a little too aggressive. Being a real estate agent is a business of relationships, and those relationships require nurturing without being overbearing. Here are the best ways to follow up with unresponsive clients without being pushy.
Format your communications properly
First, make sure you’re personalizing your communications. Most clients find generic, script-like communications annoying and very easy to ignore. Address them by name, and refer to their real estate goals in your communication.
If you’ve already made contact with them, you probably know whether they’re buying or selling, where they’re looking to move, and when they’re looking to move. It can also help to refer to where and how you met. You want to build an authentic, personal bond with the client.
Also, watch your formatting, especially if you’re sending an email. Avoid too many exclamation points, emojis, all caps and other heavily formatted text. These could get your email sent to their spam folder.
Use the communication channels they prefer
The easiest way to find out how clients want to be reached is to simply ask them. Find out if they prefer being contacted via email, text, phone calls, snail mail, social media, or some other channel. Confine your communications to that channel. Hitting them with a barrage of communication through every possible channel can easily push clients away.
Polish your pitch
Being a real estate agent is also a sales job, and the first thing you sell your clients is yourself. Treat your follow-ups like you’re closing a deal. While you should keep the tone professional, craft each communication so it’s personal, authentic, and concise. Purposeful communication is less likely to be seen as pushy.
Give something of value
A lot of clients regard the market with confusion or anxiety. Your role as an agent is to use your expertise and experience to help them navigate the market, and there’s no better way to demonstrate that expertise than to offer them insightful content.
That can take many forms. Maybe it’s an article they haven’t seen about their target neighborhood, the latest sales stats for the city, or some counterintuitive metrics that illuminate the latest market trends. Give them information they didn’t have, and it’ll position you as an expert.
Timing is everything
Knowing when to follow up is just as important as knowing how to follow up. You should always follow up with a new lead as soon as you receive it, before they have a chance to sign with another agent.
Once you’ve made that initial contact, find out as much as you can about their goals. Do they need to buy a new home urgently because of a new job? Are they casually thinking about selling? Are they looking to invest in an income-generating property? Knowing what they want will help you know how to follow up with them.
If the client is looking at a specific neighborhood, follow up with them whenever you get a new listing in that area. You can also “mirror” their level of responsiveness. Clients who respond quickly should receive fast follow-ups.
Every agent also knows there are certain times of the year when people often look to buy or sell, such as in the spring or right before the school year starts. It can be very fruitful to contact clients at the beginning of those periods.
Schedule your follow-ups
Don’t rely on your gut to tell you when to follow up with a new client. Create a concrete follow-up schedule and stick to it. Some experts suggest at least six contact attempts.
Avoid reaching out too frequently or on a regimented schedule. Space out your contacts at increasing, irregular intervals.
If you’ve reached the end of your follow-up schedule and haven’t received a response from the client, consider ceasing communications. At this point, many agents like to send one more “goodbye” email that says you’re not going to be communicating any longer but you’re still open to hearing from them in the future.
Track your performance
Collect data about how you communicate with your clients, the frequency of your communication, and all the responses you receive so you can refine and perfect your strategy.
Track how often your email marketing is opened and how often recipients click through the email. Analyze the responses to your social media posts and carefully monitor the number of visitors to your website, as well as their bounce rate.
If one aspect of your communication strategy isn’t getting the responses you want, don’t hesitate to adjust and see if your metrics improve. No one gets it perfect right out of the gate.
Bring them to you
It’s often easier to check in with potential clients face to face. Entice your clients to come to you. Organize real estate seminars or weekend courses, happy hours for clients, or deluxe open houses with free refreshments. It can also be quite valuable to hold these events on Zoom or through social media platforms.
In a similar vein, maximize your public brand presence by sponsoring local sports teams or having a booth at local festivals or real estate conventions. Maintaining robust visibility can make clients more responsive simply because they’ll feel like they already know you.
Nicole Lehman is a PR Strategist for Clever Real Estate..
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners.
To contact the editor responsible for this piece: [email protected].