The beginning of a beautiful relationship

Keeping in touch after the sale yields

repeat business and referrals

by Marty Kramer   Not all real estate salespeople follow up with clients after closing, and that’s just fine with Jo Pressly. “I actually am very glad most agents don’t follow up after the sale and even fail to go the closing,” says the agent with Virginia Cook, REALTORS® in Dallas. “That means more business for me.”

Like many successful agents, Pressly understands the value of staying in touch with the sellers and buyers she represents. She sends them seasonal cards and gives them goodies during the holidays. She even continues to contact clients who move out of town, which pays off with the business they occasionally send her way.

The end can be a new beginning

An effective follow-up program begins at closing. By immediately updating your client’s information in your contact database, you can record information about the sale and the client that provides a basis for future contacts. Even details you don’t currently see a use for may prove valuable later. For example, making a note of the client’s interests and hobbies gives you a jumping-off point for future conversations. With buyers, noting the size and number of rooms in a house, when viewed in light of changes in that client’s life, can give you insights about when a larger (or smaller) home may be of interest.

Building relationships

For buyer clients, a call or visit shortly after move-in not only shows that you appreciate that person’s business but also gives you the opportunity to help solve any problems that have popped up. Even though the problems may have nothing to do with you, providing solutions to them bolsters your image, which works in your favor when those clients are ready to sell that house and buy another one.

Toni Nelson believes that calling someone shortly after the move is the greatest relationship builder available. “I was at a function and overheard a buyer say to another person that of all the moves he had made, my company was the only one that ever called him after the sale to see if we could help in any way,” says the division manager for Coldwell Banker United, REALTORS® in Houston. “Word of mouth from a satisfied client is the strongest business builder an agent and company can have,” adds Nelson. She also strongly endorses using mail and e-mail follow-up programs with every client, but says that adding the personal touch before implementing the follow-up program strengthens the relationship.

A client satisfaction survey soon after the sale presents a similar opportunity, with the benefit of collecting feedback to help you improve your service and skills. The two tactics can even be combined by letting the client know when you visit or call that he will be receiving a survey and you value his feedback on it.

Keep making a good impression

There are many ways to make an impact on clients after closing. Sandy Bednar, a broker with Avenue One Properties in Austin, says the company often sends a prepared meal to the clients’ new home on the first evening that they will definitely be in the house, or agents will sometimes bring a pizza to the house on moving day. “They are, of course, appreciative,” says Bednar, “but you can also see a sense of relief that this is one less thing that they must deal with.”

Brooke Hunt follows up with custom mailing labels and personalized note cards, a reminder to file for a homestead exemption, and a copy of the HUD statement to help at tax time. She also periodically sends real estate information pertinent to clients. Hunt, an agent with Ebby Halliday, REALTORS® in Colleyville, mails birthday cards to every member of a client’s family, sometimes including a special surprise for the kids.

Hunt says this kind of follow up is one reason 55% of her business this year came from repeat clients and referrals. “That’s the best kind of client to have—one who already has a positive impression of you from past experience or the person from whom they got the referral,” she says.

One of several components Dwight Hale incorporates into his follow-up program is to give clients a gift certificate good for several hours of work by a handyman. “Most homes that we sell, new or used, require something being done, whether it’s a garage door opener installed or heaven knows what else,” says Hale, a broker/owner of RE/MAX North San Antonio. “Clients really appreciate it, since they have so many other stresses already going on in their lives.” Hale’s firm also sends birthday cards and invites clients to holiday parties, baseball games, and other events the company sponsors throughout the year.

Remembering names works both ways

Though opinions vary widely about how often and by what means to contact past clients, the aim is always the same: keep your name in front of them. Glenn Still chooses to send clients a monthly newsletter. Then in November, he hand delivers calendars with a personal note written on the anniversary date of their home purchase. “All of this also helps me remember who they are,” says the broker-owner of Still Brothers & Associates in Arlington, “so when I see them at football games or the grocery store or church, I can ask how their family is doing—and joke about how they will need a bigger house.”

Keep it going

How long after closing should you continue to contact clients? “We call them on their birthdays and anniversaries and they also receive letters and postcards from us till they die,” says Hale. “We’ve never had any ask off that I’m aware of.”

Some in the industry cull their lists every so often. While this makes sense to clean up addresses, delete records for deceased clients, pulling someone off the list because you haven’t heard back from them in a few years may not be the best move. Though you can find information on how often people move on average, you never know when a specific family or individual may be ready to sell or buy a home.

Whether your firm or franchise offers a follow-up program or not, you can continue to provide service to clients after the sale. All it takes is a little effort, organization, and follow-through.

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