If a lead falls into your lap, don’t delay connecting with the consumer, a CEO has advised.
Speaking to REB about the importance of lead generation, LocalAgentFinder chief executive officer Richard Stevens has acknowledged there are some “basic fundamentals” that agents should be covering when opportunity does knock.
First off, “responding quickly is critical”.
Warning against leaving it for a day, Mr Stevens said: “If someone walked into the office, came into reception — you wouldn’t say ‘would you mind sitting there for three days? I’ll come back to you when I’m ready’.”
Not only is it an immediacy issue, but out of respect for the potential client, the CEO posited.
“A homeowner thinking about selling has reached out to you. It’s important that you show that respect through response.”
Highlighting the importance of addressing homeowners in a way that makes them feel not only comfortable but “ready to talk” is also key. If a potential client has requested being contacted in a particular way, take heed.
Communication and correspondence can’t just be handled like a cold call either.
Mr Stevens stressed the importance of agents going into the first conversation and showing that they’ve listened to the information they’ve been provided (if any).
He advised “actually understanding from the information provided what it is that the homeowner is looking to do”.
“Is it their property? Is it the investment property? When are they looking to sell?”
From Mr Stevens’ perspective, “consumers will always be pushing the status quo, trying to find faster, better, easier ways of doing things”.
And agents need to keep up.
While agents have traditionally been associated “with being slow to move”, he acknowledged that is changing.
“Even before the pandemic hit, agents were exploring different pathways to grow their business. There was that acceptance that you can’t just keep doing door knocks, box drops, and hope that’s it.”
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Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.