Are you memorable? When people encounter you, do they remember who you are when you’re no longer in their presence? What is it about you that keeps you top of mind and in demand for business? Could it be your big, infectious laugh that makes everyone feel good? Maybe it’s the care you display in your customer service, or is it your signature, electric red hair that proves you’re a daring soul who can make magic happen? Whatever it is that makes YOU memorable, you must lean in to those qualities and characteristics to make them work for you!
I’ve been in real estate for over 15 years, and what has kept me in demand has been a winning combination of personality, expertise and the careful way that I manage and serve my clients. I learned a long time ago (after tons of trial and error, of course) that in order to be memorable in this business (and really, in anything) you must be authentic to you.
When you’re authentic, you exude unapologetic confidence in what you do, how you do it and who you do it for. That kind of authenticity allows you to (1) build a strong Know, Like and Trust (K.L.T.) Factor, (2) be the expert who confidently educates and offers sound guidance, and (3) put your clients at ease knowing that you will always have their back and keep it real when it comes to helping them make important decisions. Those three things are quick and simple ways to make yourself memorable and successful.
Let’s dig a little deeper.
YOU DOWN WITH K.L.T?
If you answered “YES” to that question, you’re already on the path to being unstoppable! Your K.L.T. factor is the secret sauce of your success. It attracts customers to you like moths to a flame, and if your K.L.T. is strong, those same customers will always come back for more AND they’ll bring others with them!
Having a great K.L.T. factor has always been important, but now, in the world we live it, it’s pretty much a requirement for your business and brand. When you’re establishing your K.L.T factor, you’ll find that one element builds on top of the other. For instance:
- KNOW is the relationship that you build and nurture with your clients, colleagues, fans and followers. Getting to know you could be established by dropping your brand postcards in their mailboxes, delivering timely market updates to their emails, or inviting them to tune in to your podcast or vlog series that features industry trends, information, case studies and influencers that they need to know.
- LIKE is the experience that people get when they are in your presence, or have the opportunity to engage with you. Getting to like you could easily be established through the compelling content you post on social media, which let’s people see and engage with you beyond the work that you do. Showing your human side, the you who is quirky, funny, flawed and otherwise, is the quickest way to be liked and even trusted.
- TRUST is how people feel about you after you’ve shown and proved that working with you is the best decision they’ve ever made. Getting them to trust you can be established by simply applying your expertise to their situation and providing options and solutions that they can feel good about. When they KNOW your work ethic, and they LIKE the experience of your personable and professional characteristics, TRUSTing your expertise never becomes a second thought, which leads me to my next point.
BE THE EXPERT
As real estate pros, we are extremely grateful for our industry being the leading economic force in a lot of cities across the United States. As we continue to wade in the unknown of what lies ahead, we must confidently maintain our role as experts who understand that real estate brings a myriad of challenging situations that require more than a heavy dose of charm. We have to activate our super powers as solution-driven problem solvers, community champions and adept objection handlers who are ready and equipped to save the day.
In fact, you’ve probably already heard some objections…
- “I don’t want people in my home.”
- “We are schooling and working from home.”
- “We’re just going to wait until next year.”
Sure, these objections are valid thoughts and concerns, but how you respond will determine how much trust you’ll gain with your customer and/or co-op agent. You see, being the expert goes beyond your expertise. You must also show your clients how you care, how you’re protecting them and what you’re doing to advocate for their interests, which are all paramount to ensuring their trust in you.
For instance, you can tell your clients how you are preparing visitors to respect their home by sharing protocols, listing verbiage and showing instructions for the “sanitation station” you create for visiting agents and their clients. Also, you could send your clients calendar reminders and milestone videos for important happenings, you can share a post-closing plan that ensures their seamless transition, or you can even set Google Alerts for the heads-up on their favorite sports teams, people and places of interest to them.
Overall, lead your clients to make good decisions by providing sound guidance, market knowledge, empathy and presenting the options. From work relocation, life changes, a necessary liquidation, consolidating households, or the other hundreds of possible situations, there are emotions, scenarios and finances at hand when it comes to real estate. You are the rock!
CLIENT EXPECTATIONS
While strong K.L.T. and expertise may be the magic keys to getting referrals, managing your client’s expectations and delivering exceptional service is the hydrant to keep them flowing! If you are not managing your client expectations from the moment they make contact with you, you are setting your bottom line and your reputation to be up for debate.
Recently, an agent friend of mine told me she explained to a potential buyer that, with the criteria and non-negotiables they were looking for, and considering how competitive the market is, the process would probably take a little longer than the 40-day timeline that the buyer wanted to stick to. Then another agent told the same potential buyer that she would find what they were looking for with no problem.
Needless to say, my friend passed on the client and wanted to get my opinion on if she had done the right thing, and to me, it was a no-brainer! She educated that person on the market, she showed them how she could be their advocate and prepared them for the
20+ day-one offers that homes like the one they were looking for would receive, and she explained the odds and challenges of closing within 40 days.
At the end of the day, I need you to remember this… never be afraid to maintain and stand tall in your integrity, and never let someone else’s desires set you up to over promise and under deliver! YOU choose how you want to operate your business, so manage your own expectations and find freedom in knowing that you’re not meant for everyone and everyone isn’t meant for you.
As long as you educate prospects and clients on how you handle showings, how you prepare listings and marketing, how timelines are managed, who does what and when you are available, etc., your clients, and your business will never stop thanking you!
The only way to become memorable is to DO YOU! By being your authentic self, you automatically work smarter, not harder. Work your K.L.T. and invest in your people as much as they invest in you; be the expert who offers right solutions, valuable information and unmatched services; and manage your client’s expectations and experiences in excellence. Do all of that and you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll be unforgettable LEGENDARY!
