This week I posed this question on my Facebook page:
What do you look for in your REALTOR? Be specific: internet savvy, traditional advertising, contact, etc
I got some excellent answers and they seemed to follow a very common thread. I found it interesting that many of us agents spend a lot of time trying to brand ourselves as being the neighborhood expert, internet specialist, new construction specialist, etc., yet most people answering my question never mentioned a specialty as being important.
Christine Pilch (@christinepilch) said she wants Honesty and integrity.
Angust Brewer: Honesty, knowledge, professionalism, integrity, efficiency.
Joe Campoleita (@campo524) gave a wealth of info: First, and to me most trusted, would be a personal recommendation from someone I know. Next might be to use the local papers to see who has listings I like in places I would want to live. I would use the internet the same way. Go on local RE firms sites to see what/where they have listings. Now for internet it would probably sway me if the website had a “rating” section in which clients would give a rating and write something about their experience. In-depth market knowledge is important…once I “meet” the agent my expectation is they can effectively discern my needs (both known and unknown…meaning the client might not really understand their needs) and match those needs to what the market has available. Needs based sales and marketing.
Erica Mulinare gave a “funny” (not really) accounting of what happened to her parents: How about someone who doesn’t bring a bottle of wine to a showing and drink it while sitting in the owner’s chaise lounge while the prospective buyers, the realtor’s friends, are walking around the house. …happened to my parents… they didn’t think it was really too big a deal becuase the people bought the house, but I wouldn’t be happy at all! (hehe).
While I do spend a significant amount of my marketing time on the internet, and tout myself as being a tech savvy REALTOR (google my name), I try to always keep customer service at the forefront. After these answers I realize that all the other efforts that I make as an agent might set me apart in a a branding or niche sense, but at the end of the day my clients want honesty, integrity, knowledge and professionalism.
I can do that!
In fact, I have been doing that for 21 years in the Western Massachusetts Real Estate field!
Have something to add? Share with us so I can learn from you, too!
