Guarantee Referrals With Your Best Client Plan

By Judy Greenberg 
Coldwell Banker 
Buffalo Grove

Most of my clients are within a 10-mile radius from my office, so I’m able to service them with the upmost professionalism. With organization, though, any agent can focus on what he or she needs to when it comes to any client. Every day, I review each and every one of my files to figure out what’s needed to determine the next steps necessary to make the transaction. I serve the areas I live in and work in. Coldwell Banker provides many different processes to show my clients I’m there for them, whether it’s through Facebook, email or newsletters.

There isn’t really a step-by-step process – every client and situation is different – but communicating with clients is a big part of my business plan. I figure out how often and what way they need to hear from me – phone calls or texts – and check in with them as often or as little as they’d like. I’ve been in real estate for 11 years, and Coldwell Banker has always given me these great tools to keep in touch with my clients.

I can communicate with my clients through newsletters that I can custom-make, and through Coldwell Banker’s HomeBase system, even if I forgot to get in touch with a client, the system will be there to remind me to touch base with any of my clients. This system also allows clients to log into our system to keep abreast of the transaction from the time it is listed to even after the property is sold. Whether they want to have a HUD for tax purposes or they lost their original contract, the client has the ability to have access to all of their documents and the status of the transaction.

Additionally, on a weekly basis,  I like to send my clients a report informing them  about online showings, feedback from scheduled showings and market statistics. Coldwell Banker’s e-marketing program, powered by NewPanda, automatically generates these reports, which make it easy for me to stay in contact with my sellers and to keep them up to date about the marketplace. But I also want to keep in touch with past clients, and e-marketing helps with that, too – this system will send my database customized newsletters, holiday cards and personal articles. It also works in conjunction with my Facebook to generate innovative statuses for my friends and clients.

I actually post listings on Facebook and LinkedIn as soon as I get a new client, so my face is always in their face as a reminder of the services I performed for them. My Facebook statuses are a combination of personal and real estate news, so my friends see a mix of what’s going on in my life. If they see my real estate successes, they’re more likely to recommend me to their friends as an agent.

I use a buyer’s agent to help me learn what’s going on with the buyer’s side. It’s hard to juggle tasks when you’re showing a client a home, but because I have a buyer’s agent, I have extra time to think about what I can do for the next client and how I can sell my clients’ homes and get them ready to close. Whether it’s getting called for an inspection issue or the mortgage process, I never let a deal go bad. Those are things I concentrate on from the time the contract is done until closing, and I think my clients really appreciate that. I also like to give all of my clients a meaningful gift to show that I was listening to their interests during the transaction – it goes a long way.

As one of the top listing Realtors in the area, other Realtors who have buyers who want to move to the Long Grove/Buffalo Grove area call me constantly to see if I have pocket listings or any other information regarding flood plans, school boundaries, etc. It is important, in my opinion, to take the time to help all fellow Realtors in order to establish good working  relationships. You never know when you’ll need the other agent’s help  at another time, or they might appreciate your knowledge and refer you in the future to another one of their clients.