Pick Me!

By Shawn Lackie

The ever-changing world of Real Estate encompasses many components. One of the largest, and obviously most important, would be how to stimulate new business. After all, you can only count on friends and relatives for so long and then that source dries up. In some cases it was never really there to begin with.

In the good old days, Realtors advertised in newspapers, magazines and local publications. Many still do, with good results. (We second that! – Editor – The Standard) In addition, many perfected the art of the cold call. I have a friend in the biz who is a master of this art and still employs it to this day. Really, there are a myriad of choices, and many agents are not sure which way to turn. There was, and still are, people who are bold enough to go door knocking. You would need REALLY thick skin for this. After all, do YOU like it when some complete stranger knocks on your door looking for business? The majority response is probably an overwhelming NO!

So how in the world is someone supposed to grow their business in this ever-changing and highly competitive world? Hence, the title – Pick Me.

The people who really get it work their data base. You can build a strong client base by advertising locally. Potential clients can lean into the agents who ARE local and spend their advertising dollars locally. Most sales people have, what’s commonly referred to as, a Sphere of Influence. I know this sounds like something out of a Star Trek episode but it’s really just a modern day version of the handy old Rolodex. It involves people you have done business with in the past and would like to know if, presently, they could refer you to one of their friends or relatives.

That can happen any number of ways. A fee could be paid if the referring person is also a Realtor. Finder fees are not accepted, it is generally an unaccepted practice. I heard, through the grape vine, about an ex-colleague, who was given a referral and promised the person who sent it a set amount of dollars as a thank you. When it came time to pay up, after the referred house had sold and said Realtor was paid his commission, he decided to negotiate the number of dollars he said he would pay his buddy. By that I mean, negotiate DOWN the amount. That didn’t sit too well with his, now, ex-buddy, ya think? I think it’s very safe to assume, he won’t be getting any more referrals from this person. An excellent lesson in how NOT to treat referrals.

However, for the agents with integrity, who also honour their commitments, looking after clients who send referrals, this can be a rewarding experience for both parties. The person giving the referral would feel a sense of accomplishment, in that they have looked after one of their friends, by providing a good referral.

Check local Facebook pages which feature Q and A pages for people looking for almost any kind of help. Nevertheless, there is still tried and true newspaper advertising and those cold calls, which still work. I just love listening to those conversations. Especially, when they work out to the benefit of all. Feel free to check out this story and more on my blog site, at https://slackie14.wixsite.com/buy-sell-and-more