Client engagement is one of the best things a real estate agent can do to drive their success. Find out more about the importance of online interaction here!
There is something invigorating about owning a quality website and well-performing social media accounts. With your SEO strategy and scheduled social media posts in full swing, it is tempting to stop there. But there is so much more you can do to grow your business and your brand. And that starts with customer engagement.
For real estate agents, the prospect of interacting with clientele can be a daunting one. With more and more home buyers and sellers choosing the Internet over in-person contact, traditional customer engagement is just about out the window.
It’s time to move on to a newer and more powerful method: interacting with clientele online.
But what does that mean? What does online engagement look like for real estate professionals?
Online Engagement for Real Estate Professionals
Online client engagement looks the same for real estate agents as it does for other businesses. Despite industry differences, many goals remain the same:
- Encourage future and existing clients to interact with your brand
- Build a strong following
- Foster a positive and authoritative reputation in the community
- Build brand loyalty
- Motivate window shoppers into becoming clients
When done well, online interaction with clientele can turn a one-dimensional brand into a four-dimensional brand, drive sales, and contribute greatly to an agent’s overall success.
An important thing to remember is that every time an agent engages with a client, they have a chance to impact the client’s opinion about their brand. Therefore, it is crucial to engage in a manner that is pleasant, professional, and consistent with the brand’s voice and tone.
The Benefits of Interacting with Customers Online
When real estate agents interact with their clientele and followers, they have a golden opportunity to bring their brand to life. As well, the more the public hears an agent’s name, the more familiar they will become with that agent. This familiarity convinces a home browser to hire the agent once they are ready to become a home buyer.
Other benefits of online engagement include:
- Opportunities for relationship building
- Effortless (and free) marketing
- Organic feedback
- Natural news channel
Relationship Building
Online interaction allows an agent’s future clientele to put a face and a personality to the name they see around town. It also gives agents a chance to directly answer their followers’ questions, put stressed-out minds at ease, and get to know what buyers and sellers really want when scouting out or listing their homes.
The more an agent communicates with their clientele, the more they recognize them (and the more they are recognized by the client). As mentioned previously, this familiarity does a number in building a bond, establishing new clients, and encourages clients to return in the future.
Brilliant Marketing Opportunity
When a client is happy with an agent, they rarely stay quiet about it. Offering places for a client to leave feedback allows happy clients to leave positive reviews—and encourage those who may be on the fence to go ahead and hire the agent.
Additionally, a great online conversation with a client may be just the thing they need to start talking (positively) about the agent to their friends and family. This positive word-of-mouth is excellent advertising, and better yet, it is completely free!
Organic Feedback
As mentioned previously, offering a place for clients and followers to leave feedback is a brilliant idea. Feedback could be requested through a pop-up or a confidential form on the website or left for the public to see on a built-in forum or comment section.
Even if the feedback is not so pretty, responding in a way that is professional, helpful, and empathetic can make a substantially positive impact on the reviewer. An agent’s thoughtful response could change the unhappy client’s opinion, give the agent a chance to set things right, and show other followers how important feedback is to the agent.
Natural News Channel
Agents who interact with their clientele online can circulate important news and start spreading the hype. Whether the agent wants to inform the public about a special event that is coming up or share a positive action they took in the community, followers want to hear about it.
In an age where many people hear more bad news than good, hearing about positive news can bring relief to an agent’s followers. It may also be one more reason for the public to follow—and hire—the agent.
How to Interact with Clients Online
The benefits of online engagement may sound great, but how can an agent take those ideas and put them into action?
Some easy (and effective) ways agents can interact with their clientele online include:
- Reviews
- Social media posts
- Blog comment sections
- Responses to emails and messages
- Educational webinars
- Members-only groups
Reviews
When a client or follower takes time out of their day to leave a review, an agent should take notice and act immediately. Even if the feedback is negative, it opens up an excellent opportunity for the agent to engage and salvage the person’s business.
After all, many businesses neglect to respond to negative reviews. This is frustrating to clientele, as nobody appreciates when their feedback is ignored. Even if an agent does not have much to say about the feedback, any response (be it thoughtful and professional) is a good response.
Social Media Posts
Social media provides a gold mine of engagement opportunities for real estate agents. Regardless of the platform, the more an agent (or an agent’s staff) interacts with the public, the more people will choose to follow—and potentially hire—the agent.
Blog Comment Sections
Incorporating a place for the public to add comments to blog posts is an excellent way to encourage interaction. Not only will an agent learn more about their followers, but they will also find out what kind of content their followers are looking for. The more an agent publishes helpful and highly sought-after content, the more traffic they will receive on their website. This increase in traffic could result in more sales, which is, of course, a win for the agent.
Respond to Emails and Messages
Responsiveness is key when it comes to client interactions. It’s a great way to build trust with clientele and prove to them that you are there when they need you. Whether they have a question about the home buying process, a concern about a listing, or need help weighing the pros and cons of a property, their messages are an excellent opportunity to build relationships.
Educational Webinars
Educational webinars are a brilliant way to interact with clientele. Webinars allow an agent to market the event to a larger audience, which helps to grow their following. They are also a great educational opportunity and a chance for the agent to highlight their skillset and expertise in a particular area.
Members-Only Groups
There is nothing quite like the feeling of belonging to an exclusive group. Not only will followers and clientele bask in the sense of belonging that members-only groups offer—they also have a wonderful opportunity to interact with an agent or agency directly. An exclusive group is a great way to encourage communication, get to know an agent’s audience, and interact with followers.
