Customer service is essential for the success of any business, particularly in the real estate sector. Being empathetic towards your customers, having the patience to listen to them carefully, and solving their problems are the keys to a sale. However, as we all know, customer service is challenging. It is not easy to cater to a variety of customers, each with different requirements.
1. Respond Speedily
Customers want answers to their queries in a jiffy. In the age of the internet, an hour represents a day. A customer who won’t answer their questions within one or two business days is likely to move on and never return. Thus, it is better to have quick customer service to attend to customer queries to prevent such a scenario.
To connect and communicate with you, provide multiple communication channels to the customers, such as text, call, email, and even social media. Additionally, invest in technologies such as artificial intelligence that can automatically respond to the customer instantly.
2. Specialize in a Niche
The real estate sector is vast. There are many avenues to explore as a real estate business. For instance, you can resale old properties, sell new ones, or connect tenants with homeowners, among others. You can specialize in a niche such as selling only energy-efficient homes or luxurious properties. This lets you cater to a specific customer base.
If possible, make ties with a design-build firm that can provide customized housing solutions. Selling properties in this category is simpler since the architecture is beautiful and the construction is structurally sound. Additionally, such residences are available at a variety of pricing to suit everyone’s budget.
Whatever niche you decide upon, ensure that you have a well-versed, experienced, and expert customer support team to back you up.
3. Anticipate Needs
Sometimes, it is better to anticipate and fulfill a customer’s wish before they even express it. It sends them a message that you actually care about them. But how can you do it? Well, for that, you will need to hire customer service agents that have key customer-friendly traits. For example, customer service agents should be team players, have empathy, be friendly with the customers, and always have an optimistic approach towards work.
To help your customer service team in this regard, you can also use advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive analytics. These technologies can prove immensely helpful in improving your customer service overall.
4. Set Goals
Set daily, weekly, and monthly goals that can help in improving your customer support and eventually result in business growth. Create goals such as calling a definite number of customers in a day, following up weekly on clients, and others that can help improve customer support.
Creating goals helps build focus, efficiently divide the tasks between customer service agents, and plan strategic steps. One thing you should, however, remember is that you may not consistently achieve your goals. But that should not distract you from the bigger picture. Focus and do your best.
5. Be Communicative
Sharing information with customers and keeping them informed at each stage makes customers feel empowered. This enhances customer support and improves the customers’ trust in your business, leading to business growth.
Explain to your customers in detail what they need to know and why they need to know it. Don’t just assume that they will know what you consider “real estate general knowledge.” You’ll be surprised to see how uninformative some clients can be regarding the simplest of things related to real estate.
6. Provide Customized Services
Every customer has different requirements. Having a single, general approach for your entire customer base can be harmful to your business. Instead, have a customized, unique approach for each client.
This will help improve customer support services, make the customer feel valued, increase their trust in your business, and eventually close a deal quicker than usual.
7. Hire Smart
In the end, it all comes down to your customer support team and how they handle clients. So be mindful, patient, and smart when hiring your customer support staff. Ensure that each employee is competent to provide the highest quality of services. It is better to keep a customer service agent’s position vacant rather than hurrying and filling it up with an unsuitable candidate. It will do more harm than good in the long run.
If you improve your customer support services, you can enjoy a high customer satisfaction rate, enhanced and quick sales, and business growth. Follow these strategies and see positive changes in your real estate business.
