Tip of the Week: Cultivate Relationships
By Brian Buffini for RisMedia
Most agents, in an effort to get quick results, only see as far as their next transaction. While this tactic works occasionally, it doesn’t match the seasonality of the market, and it’s not sustainable over the long run. The most successful agents understand that while hunting for and generating leads is important, it’s also necessary to plan ahead by cultivating relationships.
Thrive in Any Season
The primary difference between an agent who’s just getting by and a successful professional is mindset. Not only do the pros consider the future and prepare for potential shifts in the market, they understand the importance of investing in their relationships with existing clients.
Just as a farmer cultivates his fields, professionals tend to their relationships by calling to check in on clients, writing personal notes and providing great service after the transaction has closed. On the flip side, daily lead-generation activities put pros in the position of a hunter; performing daily lead-generation activities will produce leads and fill their pipeline with business.
Cultivate Reliable Leads
When the market is up, business flourishes. This is the time to build relationships and add people to your database. You can help your business weather peaks and valleys by asking for referrals from clients when the market is high and making time to get face-to-face. This is also the time to make your business a well-oiled machine so you’re in a position to thrive when the market slows down.
Be “Salt”
A primary trading commodity between civilizations, salt—or sodium chloride—is a seasoning that changed the world. Separately, both sodium and chloride are poisonous; however, when put together, they’re essential for life.
Think of sodium as our “thinking” and chloride as our “actions.” Thinking allows you to unleash the power of your mind; action helps you harness the power of your habits. When you combine the two—when you become salt—you’re an unstoppable force. If you want to “be salt,” you need to:
- Make up your mind. Andrew Carnegie said, “You are what you think. So just think big, believe big, act big, work big, give big, forgive big, laugh big, love big and live big.” Maintain a positive, can-do attitude and harness the power of a made-up mind.
- Just do it. Once you’ve decided to do it, do it. Theodore Roosevelt said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Use the tools at your disposal to take action and build your business.
- Do it better. Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” Always work to improve your skills and increase your knowledge, then apply what you’ve learned to your business.
Real estate is cyclical. Insulate yourself from the whims of the market by leveraging the peak seasons, maximizing your efforts and becoming salt. If you put in the work and commit to developing relationships, your business will not only survive—it’ll thrive.