When I bought a house, the real estate professional who showed me the house was very helpful. I purchased it and we each went on our way. He followed up about 6 months later, inquiring about how my house was and (surprisingly) if I was ready to buy again. Haven't heard from him since. Will we use his services again? Certainly he was nice enough. And I'm happy with the house I bought, which means he listened to my needs and narrowed the list of potential homes to a few appropriate choices. But these are two qualities I'd expect no matter which real estate professional I used. So that got me thinking: What are the qualities that would have made me return to him instead of seeking someone else? Here are 4 value-added services a real estate professional might offer to differentiate himself or herself from the rest: FROM THERE TO HERE In my particular case, I was moving my family from one city to another and had to stay in a hotel for a week before we could take possession of the house. As you can imagine, there was a lot of work on my part to pack my home, move my belongings, store them, and eat at restaurants for a week. And, I was moving to a city where I didn't know anyone who could help. A prepared real estate professional would have relationships built with a hotel and a few restaurants as well as a temporary storage company. Even a small discount at one or two of these places, and perhaps a book of coupons, might have made a difference. In my case, where I was moving from one city to another, a city map marked with relevant information like buy home insurance here" and pay your municipal taxes here" would have been great. WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD A brief introduction to the neighborhood would also have been welcome. Of course, we did scope out the neighborhood before we bought to make sure it was a place where we'd want to live. But one neighborhood looks like another after several days of house-hunting! A smart real estate pro should invite everyone into the car after the sale and drive around the neighborhood again to point out the corner store, the school, the community center, and other features. This should help reinforce the buying decision. It wouldn't hurt to provide a map of the area. PUT YOUR BACK INTO IT On moving day, reality sets in. Any buyer's remorse that hits beforehand is a result of the money spent and can be shrugged off as an unavoidable part of the sale. But buyer's remorse on moving day can be challenging because that's the day that the home's real livability is put to the test. Buyers are excited about the possibilities, but they are also tired and sore from moving boxes and reality is setting in about tiny issues they had not considered before. A real estate professional that wanted my business in the future would show up for an hour and help move boxes and leave a bottle of wine. The agent doesn't have to show up for very long and can easily excuse themselves after an hour. But their assistance will feel invaluable and the hour they invest on moving day will reward them in the future with repeat sales. BUILD EXCITEMENT The real estate professional who helped me find a home did a good job of identifying the right house for my family. But approaching me six months later with the semi-casual are you ready to move yet? seemed an odd way to generate a repeat sale from me. Homeowners will sell, but the question is, when and why? Real estate professionals who want that repeat sale shouldn't be casual about it, nor should they leave it so open ended. Instead, they should identify what the next step in a home might be for each of their clients and then send them a small collection of listings from time to time. Depending on the client, anywhere from six months to one year should be the frequency considered. These four value-added services don't cost a lot and don't require a lot of time or effort. But they can substantially differentiate you in the mind of your clients and when it comes time for them to buy a new house, they will remember the care and attention you gave them.
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