Customer Service in Residential Real Estate – A Manifesto

“One man’s folly is another man’s fortune.” – Grant Braswell, 2012

Upon further review (Googling), it turns out I’m loosely channeling the words of Sir Francis Bacon, the folly of one man is the fortune of another.  If I’m going to be unintentionally paraphrasing someone else, I’m glad they have a delicious last name.

But why start with such a thought?  I suppose it is because I have been making a concerted effort to focus on customer service, and I was thinking about how my Yelp page is a reflection of my level of customer satisfaction which is correlated to customer service.  Then when I considered the average phone call I get from these people, I notice a trend where many of them are researching and calling agents because they have already been let down by one.  This upsets me as I reflect on everyone who DOESN’T call me but has been equally unserved.  In short, there is an abundance of poor customer service in the real estate industry in New York City, and this needs to change.

Every industry, save those working in a Jerk Factory, should consider the following rules for providing excellent customer service:

 

1. Be Prepared (not like this).  While this was my motto in Boy Scouts (Eagle ’01 NBD) it applies equally to your job as it does venturing into the woods.  The similarities are worth examination:

• Study your map.  This applies to knowing both where you’re going, but also about where you’re going.  If you can’t share with someone as their agent why they should live somewhere and what the benefits and drawbacks then you’re not being anything more than a fleshy door opener.  Anyone can do that.  TIP – check out local businesses, know all the subway lines nearby (and where they go) and provide information about the neighborhood businesses.  Who wouldn’t want to know the best Tapas place on the block and how best to get to work?
• Pack your bag.  Bring all the information you can about the buildings and apartments you are seeing.  It might rain?  Bring an umbrella for your client who may not have looked at the weather report.  Going to be a long day?  Tell your client to wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle for your client.  Preparing ahead of time will make the process much smoother.
• Bring tools.  Sure, there are times a lockpick would be really helpful when that dagnabbit key isn’t working.  But have a smartphone that can search for properties if you need to change course in the field, look something up or to forward information (I’ve sent in an application by taking photos of application pages and sending them to the managing agent to be first after leaving an open house).

2. Be Available.  This does not mean that you need to be on call 24/7 – you can let a call go to voice mail or get back to that email after you finish dinner.  But don’t let this drag out for days.  Not getting back to an inquiry be it a potential client or another broker is a quick way to miss opportunities and worse, when you do follow up, the person you’re in contact with will think you don’t value their attempt to work with you. Very no good (wags finger).

3.  Be Prompt.  This goes for all parties involved (clients too thanks).  A day scheduled around appointments meant to run like clockwork means you cant show up 15 minutes late for your first appointment, you’ll throw of the days of half a dozen people.  You must value your and your client’s time so avoid delays and maybe pad a few minutes into the commute.

4. Be Honest and Straightforward.  Nothing irks me more than hearing about dishonest or ‘shady’ real estate agents, they ruin it for the rest of us.  The fact is that these days  information is out there for everyone, so there should be no need to mislead anyone. Craigslist ads?  Ugh.  I get so many calls from people who were sent my way or found me after trying to wade through the crap on Craigslist.  All they want is to be treated like an adult, given real addresses and their expected costs up front.

5. Have Fun!  If you’re stressed out the whole time, thinking about other work or just tired, don’t show it.  Being friendly and upbeat is totally part of the job.  When you’re seeing 10 apartments in 4 hours, it can be exhausting and it turns out almost every $1700/mo 1BR in the east village is terrible (and also non-existent).  Deciding where to live is a big deal and the last thing someone needs is an anxious environment.

 

Real Estate is not rocket science, almost anyone can do it.  Yes, big money is on the line and every $1000 counts, be it towards the total rent for the year or the price of your purchase.  Emotions run high and you will  lose out on an apartment at some point.  Where a client is going to derive the most value from working with you  and the reason why you as an agent can consistently get personal referrals is going to be because of the quality service you provide.

 
For more on my feelings about customer service, check the video: