One of the best parts about working in real estate? Sharing in the joy (and relief) clients feel as they sign their last bit of paperwork on closing day. The best bookend to a job well done is a smiling client, but the work doesn’t end there.
Top-performing real estate agents work hard to continue to provide value to clients in the weeks and months after closing day. Being present after closing sends a strong message: I am invested in you and your family’s happiness and well-being. That’s the kind of personal branding that will never get across in an online ad or direct mailer.
Staying available for clients as they get settled into their new home also keeps you top-of-mind as they’re talking with friends who might also be considering buying or selling a home. People are more likely to recommend someone who they know has gone the extra mile for them and will do the same for their friends.
Here are six ways you can be present and provide value to your clients after closing day.
1. Make follow-up calls
Schedule a courtesy call to check in with clients one week after closing. Ask how your clients are enjoying their home and whether there’s anything else you can do to help them out. Follow up again one month month after closing. Use your customer relationship management software to schedule follow-ups and build them into your routine.
2. Show up for the move-in
Moving into a new home is equal parts exciting and exhausting. Stop by with pizza or a bottle of wine on your client’s move-in date. Be sure to ask your clients if they need any recommendations for good restaurants and stores in the neighborhood.
3. Send a post-closing checklist
Hiring a pest control firm. Turning on the water. Checking and clearing the gutters. Your clients face a laundry list of tasks that need doing as they settle into a new home. Offer a move-in checklist that overviews essential tasks to help them out. The checklist could be as simple as a few bullet points sent in an email. Be sure to include to-dos that are easy to overlook, like following up on homestead exemption paperwork.
4. Create a list of reliable local contractors
Houses require upkeep. Chances are your client is going to be looking for help sometime soon. Give them a leg up by sharing a list of local contractors, from carpenters to lawn care companies to fireplace experts. Stick to recommending contractors who you’ve worked with before and know provide quality service. A bad experience with a contractor you recommended will reflect poorly on you.
Start creating your own showstopping content today.
Diving into the world of content can be a bit intimidating for a solo real estate agent or small marketing team. It helps to have a bit of inspiration.
5. Send a housewarming gift
Send a small gift to clients once they’ve settled into their new home. Don’t go out hunting for a fancy blender or new knife set. Thoughtful is better. For example, a small token or art piece that represents the neighborhood they moved to or a night light for the nursery.
6. Stay in touch
Your relationship with your client doesn’t end after closing. Add them to your holiday card list. Send a handwritten note on the one-year anniversary of their closing date. Use an email newsletter to keep up with former clients and continue to share useful information.
“Some agents forget to love on the people who have helped you get to where you are. Don’t do that!” said Mindy Jones Nevarez, owner of the Amy Jones Group in Gilbert, Arizona.
Nevarez said her team aims to touch base with clients at least three times a month with phone calls, email newsletters and blog content as well as short, personal notes over text, on Facebook or in a handwritten card. It’s important to keep up with clients and their lives, she added.
“See that they posted that their dog passed away? Comment on their post and then send them a card. It can be that easy if it is systematized,” Nevarez said.
Real estate is a relationship business. Small gestures after a deal is closed can go an even longer way toward building a relationship with a client than anything you did during the sale. Start experimenting with some of these practices to build trust and lay the groundwork for future business.
