Commercial Real Estate

In the real estate space, many newbies come from other fields and bring a fresh approach to the business.

It’s hardly unusual to hear about real estate brokers who are also active volunteers in their community. Both roles encompass a common mission: serving the needs of people to build a stronger society. But is it wise to make charitable activities a central part of your company strategy?

Buyers today are more informed than ever, thanks in large part to the abundance of real estate information on the Web. 

But even when you're working with buyers who really know what they want, your job will likely require to you show several properties in person.

Ideally, at one of these showings, your client will fall in love with the property and start thinking hard about making an offer. What can you do to help them reach that stage? Here are 10 tips for making sure that the home-showing process moves along smoothly and efficiently (and safely, of course) as possible: 

For some, it takes years to decide whether they’re ready to make a move, but what are you supposed to do until then? Take a deep breath and consider these four ways to work with clients who are on the fence.

In some instances, people act difficult because they are placed in a difficult situation. In many others, they behave in a difficult fashion for the same reason that a 3-year-old child cries: Last time it got the results they wanted, so they are going to do it again.

Do you value your time? Well, if the consumer is more in control of it than you are, then you don’t. Learn to take control back from the consumer and start valuing your own time more. 

Agent recruitment and retention is at the forefront of brokerages’ goals for business growth, even nudging out profitability or agent productivity, according to a new survey of 150 brokers and owners across the U.S. conducted by Contactually, a relationship marketing software firm.

When it comes to convincing buyers and sellers that you're their best choice, you really have only two options. You can sell your accomplishments or you can sell the benefits that your prospective clients will receive from working with you.

It’s not an uplifting thought, but it’s a fact of working in the real estate business: Many of your clients will be in the midst of a sorrowful life transition. Maybe they’re leaving the home where decades of family memories were created, splitting up after an ended relationship, or selling because they no longer have the financial means to pay the mortgage.

Because you’ll inevitably work with a grieving client at some point in your career, it’s important that you understand the five stages of grief, as identified by American psychologist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. By knowing what your clients are going through, you can better understand what is motivating their decisions and help them keep the deal on track.

Define and embrace your company culture, power brokers say, then recruit agents who fit that niche.