Real estate investments usually take a bulk of people’s investment. For a customer to invest their life savings, the need to find a trusted real estate agent is more important than in other fields. As a real estate agent, this article will give you insights on how to build trust with your customers to get that all important deal.  We shall go deep into these 12 key factors that help develop trust.

1.      Quality communication

2.      Good online profile

3.      Trust with other agents

4.      Offering top notch customer service

5.      Connect and Communicate on Social Media

6.      Providing Clear Videos and Authentic Photos

7.      Build Integrity and a Good Reputation

8.      Provide Consistency and Regular Updates

9.      Be honest

10.  Avoid unnecessary promises

11.   Start and Participate in Online Groups

12.  Join Industry and Local Professional Groups

1.      Create a good online profile

Often, your profile is the first impression you’ll make on potential clients, so it shouldn’t be taken lightly. You can do this by creating a website for your company, or yourself. Research shows 99% of millennials (and 90% of baby boomers) begin their home search online (as opposed to in-person referrals). To take advantage of this, your online profile should showcase your best assets and displays past client testimonials. Recent marketing studies clearly indicate that consumers believe about 14% of what we say about ourselves but believe 78% of what other people say about us. Pinpoint your specialties and what sets you apart from your competition. Remember to share a bit about who you are as a person, so they’ll feel more connected to you and confident that you’ll take good care of them.

Once you have created a profile with us, we give you a chance to show crucial information like your credentials, links to your social media profile, past sales and customer testimonials. You can send your profile link to your customers who can then provide ratings for you. Customer testimonials help prospects to learn about actual experiences past clients have had with you and can then easily imagine the possible experiences they could have, themselves.

2.      Quality Communication

Customers eagerly anticipate information from you and the longer you go without communicating, the more they become anxious.  Maintain a system for keeping communication open with your real estate partners and customers so that you you will stand miles above the competition. Once you’ve established a connection with your customers, always follow through with what you say. This will show the customer that you’re not just in it for the transaction or to make money. It shows you’re just as focused to help them get to the final goal.

At premier agent, we have created a leads section which you can access once you are logged in and you can track and manage all contacts who have expressed interest in your properties.

3.      Build Trust with Other Agents.

Building trust with your fellow agents can be a long and difficult process, but it’s an incredibly important step that every successful agent will work towards. An agent that trusts you will be much more likely to refer clients to you and work with you should you need their help. In addition, an agent that you have built trust with will most likely notify you of new listings and ask that you refer some buyers towards their property. These types of relationships are what make real estate both a competitive and cooperative business, and successful agents are agents that understand the importance of networking with their fellow agents.

 
4.      Offering top-notch customer service.

The real estate profession is and always has been a people business. People do business with people they know, like and trust and at the heart of the business lies the skills to cultivate and build relationships. Those who do not learn how to build relationships and gain the trust of consumers will have just as much, if not more difficulty, converting leads as they did in developing leads in the first place. There are no short cuts to developing deep and lasting relationships.

5.      Connect and Communicate on Social Media.

Having a social media presence is one of the best things real estate agents can do to communicate effectively in order and grow their brands. Today hundreds of thousands of people are using social media to stay relevant within the industry. According to a recent study from the National Association of Realtors, 47% of real estate businesses note that social media results in the highest quality leads.

Facebook is a no-brainer and remains a staple of marketing for real estate agents. Facebook allows businesses to publish listing-related updates and content, book appointments, communicate with customers and curate reviews in a single platform. You can also use Facebook ads to grow your business.

6.      Providing Clear Videos and Authentic Photos

Customers expect to see videos and clear pictures of the properties listed following the rising usage of technology. We have created a complete guide on how to take real estate photos. The internet is one of the most influential and phenomenon sources of information, making use of Facebook to Twitter, to photo-sharing platforms like Instagram, there are all kinds of social platforms that you can use to connect and sell your brand to people.

7.      Build Integrity and a Good Reputation

One of the best way to build a relationship of trust and confidence with clients is to ensure them of your integrity. This means managing the client’s demands, meeting every deadline, and providing extra value whenever possible. Nothing will ensure returning clients and referrals as much as the agent’s integrity and quality of service.

Ensuring you know every detail about the market and the key steps in the process of buying land in Kenya, meeting the client’s demands, and following up on what’s promised and expected will make you reliable and trusted.

8.      Provide Consistency and Regular Updates

Keeping customers updated both online and offline offers the perception of stability and longevity, both of which are essential aspects of trust in a company’s ability to deliver the products or services they require. As a real estate agent, ensure that you actively present updates on any new projects that you have and supply customers informative information.  Remember that everything you publish online should be accurate and also well-written. Your messages should be precise and simple, and they should reflect your expertise and competence. It will let readers connect with you on a more personal level and set you apart from your competitors.

9.      Be Honest

To build trust in your business, be as honest with your clients as you probably expect them to be with you. Always tell the truth; otherwise, people are likely to come to the worst conclusion about your motivation and competence. Dishonesty not only makes your customers walk out but also seriously damages your reputation.

10.  Avoid Unnecessary Promises

Keeping your word is a needed to build trust with clients and prospects. Avoid setting unrealistic expectations as most customers want straightforward and realistic goals in choosing a Real Estate Agent.  Real estate agent’s reputations often precede them for better or worse. Stories of your successes and failures will spread like wildfire, and the reputation you build for yourself will either help you get more deals or eliminate your chances of doing so. Besides being professional, knowledgeable and pleasant to work with, you also need to be a person of integrity by always following through on your word.

11.  Start and Participate in Online Groups

Consider joining professional groups in the community to make meaningful connections to and build your brand. You can start or participate in online groups for the same reasons. Look for neighbourhood and industry groups where agents can post about community news, current listings, and real estate updates. Groups on Facebook and other sites encourage sharing, connecting, and creating relationships that help generate referrals.

Participate in community events and neighbourhood improvement projects with other local professionals. Create a network of mutual referrals to help locals find a team of helpful professionals they can trust. At Premier Agent, we support several online and offline community groups and can connect you with one.

12.  Join Industry and Local Professional Groups

Clients want to know an agent is competent and honest. An agent who belongs to industry and local professional groups proves his or her expertise. Your office or online profile, post licenses and group affiliations in a place where clients can see them. In Kenya, you can join the Estate Agents Registration Board which is the regulatory body for estate agency practice in Kenya.

To register with the Estate Agents Registration Board, please read our guide on how to register with the Estate Agents Registration Board.

The real estate industry has always been relationship-driven. If you’re focusing on creating a long-term relationship with real estate agents, you’ll begin to see improvements in volume and a wide expansion within your referral network. You can also read our  tips to Become a Trusted Real Estate Agent in Kenya which we have created to help you transform into a trusted partner in the eyes of your real estate partners.