Open 7 days – this is an added advantage for agencies in coastal or holiday destinations.
Additional services – these can include in-house home loans, finance or mortgage broking service, property management, buyer’s agent service, commercial/industrial sales and leasing, holiday accommodation, removal service and insurance.
Personal profile – include your background previous to real estate (if applicable – finance, sales or customer service), years of experience, recognition/awards, family (married/children) and your other interests outside the industry (sporting clubs, hobbies, charities supported).
Days on market (agency and agent) – promote compared to the local and industry averages.
Full service – this should be a given in terms of offering your potential clients all the selling options: auction, private treaty, tender or expressions of interest. To take it one step further, you should also have an in-depth and thorough understanding of all the benefits of each method in terms of how they can assist the seller.
Buyer match system – all new listings are entered into the agency’s database prior to marketing to potentially match any of your buyers to those properties new to the market (may save the seller time and marketing costs).
Email/SMS alerts for new listings – these can be sent out immediately to buyers on the day the property is listed to fast-track the selling campaign.
Brochures – use attachments as a tool to include additional information (local maps, points of interest, distances to schools, shopping and beaches, a list of things the current owners enjoy about the home/area and what attracted them to the house when they purchased it).
Property information sheet – as above to include additional information on the property such as age of the house, recent renovations undertaken, land size, hot water service, council rates, body corporate fees (if applicable), heating and cooling, insulation, inclusions, exclusions and estimated rental return.
Seller and purchaser gifts– this should always be a “wow!” moment for both the buyer and the seller. Make it memorable with a thoughtful gift they will always remember (not your standard champagne or flowers). Make the extra effort with, for example, a bow tied around the front door welcoming them to their new home as well as a complimentary house or garden clean-up in the first month.
Community support – people like dealing with people; real people who are seen as part of the local community. Agents are often perceived as being “take take” so what do you give back on a regular basis? Which charities do you support or schools do you sponsor? List the organisations you support, for example, the local surf club, junior or senior sporting clubs, the door knock appeals you regularly support and the money raised over the years for these worthwhile causes.
Thank you cards/notes – send these out on a regular basis to your past, current and future clients as “touch points” so that your clients reference you as someone who cares about them. When was the last time you received a hand-written note from someone? It is far more powerful than an email or typed letter.
Fridge magnets – relative for both the agency and the agent. Let’s face it, everyone has a business card (which is often thrown out). Fridge magnets have a far better chance of being retained as people place a higher value on them. Hint: come up with something other than a house shape or a calendar as these ideas have been over-done. Think of something fresh, different and out of the box!
