The Discipline of Following Up

The Discipline of Following Up 943 642 CRE OneSource Intelligent Solutions for Commercial Real Estate

Many consider cold calling the lifeblood of any successful sales development and outreach strategy. But that initial outreach and conversation are meant only to serve as the building blocks of an ongoing business relationship.

The practice of following up cements your reputation as attentive and dedicated. By following up on those initial cold calls, you make the prospective client feel valued and pursued individually. 

So how do we achieve a level of following up that differentiates us? 

  • Follow Ryan Serhants 3 F’s: Follow Up, Follow Through, Follow Back
    • Follow up: Assume no one will reach out to you. Treat it as your job to maintain the relationship moving forward. 
    • Follow Through: If you say you will, you must.
    • Follow Back: Always remain in touch with your past clients.
  • Block time in your schedule specifically for follow ups
  • Personalize your conversations
    • Take notes so you can recall details about previous conversations and find ways to add them into your conversation.
  • Provide value in every conversation
    • Leave them excited for the next time your number shows up on their phone.

For more information on cold calling, check out the blog we wrote on cold calling under our original content brand, the Source!

Charlie Coppola
[email protected] 

 

 

The Best Techniques to Follow Up with Real Estate Leads

by Ryan Serhant

Following up with potential clients is hands-down one of the most essential things you must do as a real estate agent. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. DO make time in your schedule to follow up with real estate leads.  

But why is following up such a big deal? According to the National Association of Realtors, 64 percent of buyers and sellers use an agent they previously worked with or a referral from a friend or family member. That means you always need to be nurturing relationships with prospects. YOU want to be that agent someone has previously worked with and gets recommended by everyone.

Following up establishes your reputation as being diligent and dedicated. You want prospective clients to know you can handle their next real estate transaction. Failing to follow up can mean losing out on the commission from a sale with them AND any referral business they would have sent your way. 

The Key: Follow Up, Follow Through, Follow Back 

The three Fs are one of Serhant’s most valuable sales secrets. When you block time in your schedule for the three Fs, you will be amazed at the business that ends up in your lap. And it doesn’t have to be difficult or take hours upon hours every day.

Below you’ll find a summary of the three Fs and how to use them to grow your real estate business.

Follow Up

  • Never expect people to get in touch with you. It is your job to get a hold of them. 
  • Follow up with your active clients every single day. 
  • And as Ryan often says, follow up until they buy or die.   

Following up is not always a fun task. To make it easier to do, add it to your calendar so that it’s non-negotiable. And don’t wait to follow up. Do it as soon as possible after interacting with someone. Don’t allow another real estate agent the opportunity to snag that client right out from under you because you waited too long. 

Follow Through

  • When you say you’re going to do something, DO IT. Period. End of story. 
  • Create accountability for yourself if you need to. 
  • Never forget that you don’t just have clients. You have relationships
  • And remember—follow through takes you where you want to go. 

Following through with what you say you’ll do makes you seem reliable and trustworthy. It’s a surefire way to get referral business from your existing clients, too. 

Follow Back

  • Keep in touch with your past clients.
  • Remember that relationships don’t end at closing. Stay top of mind by touching base and saying “hello!” every once in a while.
  • Touch base with clients that you have lost. They may not have loved the experience they had with another agent, and you never know when they may need a real estate agent again.
  • Following back is your opportunity to get yourself back in the game with that client. 

Following back is a great tactic to keep doors open to future opportunities. It’s a strategy you can use to show potential clients that you are there for future projects. Try wishing past clients a “happy birthday” or sending them your newsletter. 

Using the three Fs gives you some control over your lead flow. Follow up, follow through, and follow back shows clients that you are poised and ready to crush any real estate listing or need they send your way. 

What Are the Best Ways to Follow Up with Real Estate Leads? 

There are several ways to follow up with real estate leads and potential clients. What works best will differ for everyone. Find the method that works best for you and work it as if your life depends on it.

Face-to-face follow-ups can be very effective. You can feel a client out when you have a candid conversation, but it’s not always the most convenient. Face-to-face meetups take extra time and effort to coordinate. 

Phone call follow-up is an effective, convenient method but can also be very time-consuming. Phone follow-up allows you to read your clients’ emotions through their voices, but it gets harder and harder to get people to pick up the phone, leaving you to have one-sided conversations with their voice mailbox. 

Texting or email follow-up is probably the most convenient way to connect with your prospective clients. It’s an easy platform to ask questions or set up a convenient time to meet. In fact, seven out of 10 people prefer this method of contact. Just make sure they approve sending messages before adding someone to your list. 

Most people don’t want to be sold to and can tell when you’re slapping your sales pitch on them. Instead of focusing on the sale, build a relationship with the potential client first. Talk about their family or yours. Engage them in conversation about their work. 

When you get to know them personally, the opportunity will present itself. The more you can learn about someone upfront, the less effort it will take to close the deal when the time is right. Here are some tips to ace your follow up game. 

Devote time to follow up. 

Everyone is busy, but you should never be too busy to follow up with clients. If you want to succeed, following up needs to be part of your plan. Figure out what following up looks like for you, then implement it into how you run your business by blocking out time in your schedule. 

Ask your clients for their preferred mode of communication. 

Not everyone prefers the same mode of communication. Giving your clients the option of how they want to communicate makes things feel less pushy. It also shows you’re willing to adapt to their needs. If you are not getting a response using one method, switch it up until you find what works best for them. 

Perfect your opening statement. 

Your opening statement builds trust in you. It leads your prospective client to believe in what you’re selling and your knowledge and experience in the real estate field. It says “I know my stuff, and I can get the job done for you”. 

Pump it up by being engaging and memorable. Don’t be like everyone else. Use your personal brand. Be you, be authentic, and try to connect over familiar ground. 

Personalize your outreach. 

Personal touches go a long way. A quick text or call to ask how a particular event went or a happy closing anniversary note lingers in the minds of potential clients. Sending a listing you think they might like because it features something you’ve heard them express interest in shows that you’re listening and that you care about them as individuals. You are creating relationships with people with every contact.  

You won’t get a sale from every single text, phone call, or email you send. Still, if you connect in an authentic, genuine way and are willing to go the extra mile, sale or no sale, that person will remember you. The next time they need an agent or the next time their friend needs an agent, they will say, “Hey I’ve got the perfect person for you.” 

Provide value. 

Follow-up can be short-term, or it can last for years. It’s important to make your follow-up with real estate leads meaningful. 

If you aren’t providing value to your clients, why would they want to stay in touch with you? You might need to rethink how you are following up. 

Include market trends, industry insights, community updates, or any critical information you feel will help keep your audience informed. Keep them wanting more by offering them value. The more value you can provide, the more likely they will read the correspondence you send. When the time comes that they need an agent, they will reach out to you. 

Use research and data.

When you use research and data to back up statements you make, it reinforces your knowledge and expertise in real estate. This little thing can set you apart from others in your field. It proves you are well educated and stay updated on your market. 

Be persistent 

The marks of a great salesperson are perseverance and persistence. Keep feeding your  drive to continue following up, market yourself well, and never give up on a future sale. There may come a time when you need to send a break-up email and move on, but make sure you’re closing the email by adding you hope you can be of service to them in the future. 

Leverage a CRM 

Real estate CRM software is an application that helps you manage relationships with individuals and businesses who want to buy, sell, rent, or manage the property. 

CRM programs can help you:

  • Gather information, communications, and other details of individual properties in one place.
  • Centralize profiles and interactions for individual leads, buyers, sellers, and renters, together with links to properties.
  • Track marketing, promotions, and interest for real estate sectors, property groups, and individual residential, commercial, and industrial properties
  • Help manage the buying, selling, and rental processes for all interested parties and third-party stakeholders.

Final Thoughts

If client follow up is a skill you need to sharpen, Sell it Like Serhant has the tools you need to elevate your follow-up game to the highest level. Don’t lose clients because you aren’t confident in your skills. Take action now to assure you are providing the best service possible.