Building your real estate business takes time and effort. One big thing that future clients like to see is testimonials from your past clients that will make them feel good about working with you. If you are a new agent or have even been around for a few years but never made an effort to get testimonials from past clients, the lack of testimonials can make you appear inexperienced. How do you get the testimonials you need to show you have the experience you do and help your future clients feel confident about choosing to work with you?

Getting Your Past Clients to Leave Testimonials

There are many different sites your clients can leave testimonials on. Some of the most common ones are Zillow, Realtor.com, Google and Facebook. The challenge is that you don’t know where people are looking for information about you so you really need a presence on all of the sites and not just one of them. This doesn’t have to be hard since they can write one review then copy and paste it to multiple sites? Why don’t more people leave reviews? Truly, it’s only because most people just don’t think about it. It doesn’t have to be complicated for you to request the reviews. You just have to start by asking.

Create an email template that you can email your clients after closing. In your email, make sure to thank them for choosing to work with you, tell them to let you know anytime they have a question, offer to help anyone they know they might need help buying or selling a property and provide them links to the appropriate sites for them to leave you reviews. Some of these sites will notify you when you receive a review while others don’t. Even if they don’t notify you, check them periodically and then thank those that have left positive reviews for you. With both Google and Facebook, you can respond to the reviews that are left you. This is always a good thing to do as it will increase the visibility of your reviews.

Capturing client testimonials isn’t a complicated or lengthy process. The key is just taking the time to do it. Make an effort to do this within a few days of closing. While the positive experience of working with you is still fresh is the best time for someone to leave you a review that reflects that.

Ready to see the benefits of having Kim Hughes and her team of professional high-level real estate assistants can help you move your business to the next level, help you become more organized so you can focus more on what is important to you. Schedule your 30-minute Strategy Call… https://go.oncehub.com/KimHughes

ANNOUNCEMENT: Have you heard? The Ultimate Expired Listing System has been a huge success for so many agents around the country. Check it out to see if it is for you. https://www.kimhughes.com/the-ultimate-expired-listing-system.

I would also like to invite you to join my exclusive Facebook Group – Real Estate Success Tools is very unique as we share tips, strategies, and more on how YOU can run a more streamlined business by implementing the tips and tools we discuss here. Join us today it will only take a couple of minutes but will change the course of your business. Go ahead…join us now. https://www.facebook.com/groups/realestatesuccesstools/

Ready to take your business to a new level? Here are some great blogs to help you get started:

3 Tips to Rock Your Transaction

Social Media Marketing for Real Estate

Is It Time to Bring on an Assistant?

Does Your Website Need a Face Lift?

7 Tips to Have an Amazing Newsletter

How organized are you with your day? Maybe you need to hold yourself accountable for your time? I have created a 90 Day Real Estate Planner for you. Check it out. https://www.kimhughes.com/90-day-real-estate-planner/

Connect with ME:

Listing your home for sale during the COVID-19 pandemic requires that you take the same basic steps that you would take selling your home at any other time, such as cleaning, staging, and having photos taken. However, the real estate industry has changed in many ways in response to the outbreak. In order to make your home shine, you’ll have to focus on your online presence more than ever. And in order to make buyers feel safe on any in-person tours, extra cleaning measures will also need to be in place.

Tips for Selling Your Home Successfully During a Pandemic

Getting Your Home Ready to List

It’s always important to make your home look its best before taking listing photos, but it matters, even more, when house hunters might rely solely on your listing to make up their minds.

• Spend a day deep cleaning each room of the house to make it shine.
• Be sure to remove dirt and grease from walls and ceilings by doing a thorough cleaning.
• Don’t forget curb appeal! Mow the lawn, do repairs, and remove outdoor clutter.
• Hire a professional photographer to take your listing photos so your home stands out.

Tips for Virtual Tours

COVID-19 may have halted most in-person activities, but buyers can still tour your home using alternative methods.

• Sellers can keep their search going if you allow realtors to do live video-chat tours.
• You can also use tools such as Zoom to show buyers around your home yourself.
• Even during virtual or video tours, make sure pets and kids are out of the picture.
• Be sure to do a quick cleaning session, even before video tours.

Keeping Your Home Show-Ready

While many buyers are able to decide on a home after a remote tour, some may still appreciate the chance to check out your home in person. Here’s how to prepare for safe showings.

• Keep some basic cleaning items on hand, such as Clorox disinfecting wipes.
• Post a friendly reminder in your home about practicing social distancing during tours.
• Clean any high-touch areas right before a showing takes place.
• If anyone in your home feels sick or shows symptoms of COVID-19, communicate with your real estate agent to postpone showings.

If you’re willing to adapt your approach, you can find success listing your home during the pandemic. Being mindful of buyers’ concerns is the right thing to do, but it can also help your home stand out from the competition and sell more quickly.

Ready to see the benefits of having Kim Hughes and her team of professional high-level real estate assistants can help you move your business to the next level, help you become more organized so you can focus more on what is important to you. Schedule your 30-minute Strategy Call… https://go.oncehub.com/KimHughes

ANNOUNCEMENT: Have you heard? The Ultimate Expired Listing System has been a huge success for so many agents around the country. Check it out to see if it is for you. https://www.kimhughes.com/the-ultimate-expired-listing-system.

I would also like to invite you to join my exclusive Facebook Group – Real Estate Success Tools is very unique as we share tips, strategies, and more on how YOU can run a more streamlined business by implementing the tips and tools we discuss here. Join us today it will only take a couple of minutes but will change the course of your business. Go ahead…join us now. https://www.facebook.com/groups/realestatesuccesstools/

Ready to take your business to a new level? Here are some great blogs to help you get started:

3 Tips to Rock Your Transaction

Social Media Marketing for Real Estate

Is It Time to Bring on an Assistant?

Does Your Website Need a Face Lift?

7 Tips to Have an Amazing Newsletter

How organized are you with your day? Maybe you need to hold yourself accountable for your time? I have created a 90 Day Real Estate Planner for you. Check it out. https://www.kimhughes.com/90-day-real-estate-planner/

Connect with ME:

You have now updated your Facebook and Instagram profiles and should be on your way to using those accounts successfully to stay in touch with your followers and attract new business for yourself. Both Facebook and Instagram offer the opportunity to connect with individuals and businesses around the world. LinkedIn offers a similar option but is based on making connections with other professionals in a primarily business to business setting. The purpose of these connections is to foster relationships among peers near and far to grow your business or enhance your career. To do this, you must first take the time to setup your profile correctly so people know who you are and what your experience is.

Five Pieces of Information You Must Add to Your LinkedIn Profile

1. Share your profession and the name of the company you work for. LinkedIn facilitates connections with those in similar careers and related industries. If you don’t tell people what you do, they won’t have a reason to connect with you. Likewise, you may want to connect with individuals that work for similar companies or the same company in a different location.
2. Your location. Another reason to connect on LinkedIn is with others in close proximity to each other. As a real estate agent, consider connecting with mortgage lenders, inspectors and real estate attorneys or title companies in your area. Connecting with these professionals can lead to new relationships, which can lead to professional referrals.
3. About. Take time to fill out the about section in your profile. Don’t make this overly lengthy but include a little information about yourself, why you are passionate about your career and anything that makes you unique.
4. Experience. Share information about your previous positions and the prior companies you worked for. It’s easy to lose track of someone you worked with a few jobs ago but if they have filled out their prior experience section, you can search for them easily and reconnect.
5. Education. Complete the education section. If you love your alma mater like many people, wouldn’t you love to connect with those that may have attended the same school even at a different time. Include the name of the school, when you attended and what you studied. If you are wanting to try a new home inspector and have ten to select from, you might be more likely to reach out to the one that graduated from the same school you did.

When it comes time to post things on LinkedIn, you will likely want to take a different approach than other platforms. Share things that might interest other professionals in your industry, things about your local area, and things that show any specialized knowledge you might have since you are more likely to be connecting with those in similar professions and not people that may want to buy your next listing.

Ready to see the benefits of having Kim Hughes and her team of professional high-level real estate assistants can help you move your business to the next level, help you become more organized so you can focus more on what is important to you. Schedule your 30-minute Strategy Call… https://go.oncehub.com/KimHughes

ANNOUNCEMENT: Have you heard? The Ultimate Expired Listing System has been a huge success for so many agents around the country. Check it out to see if it is for you. https://www.kimhughes.com/the-ultimate-expired-listing-system.

I would also like to invite you to join my exclusive Facebook Group – Real Estate Success Tools is very unique as we share tips, strategies, and more on how YOU can run a more streamlined business by implementing the tips and tools we discuss here. Join us today it will only take a couple of minutes but will change the course of your business. Go ahead…join us now. https://www.facebook.com/groups/realestatesuccesstools/

Ready to take your business to a new level? Here are some great blogs to help you get started:

3 Tips to Rock Your Transaction

Social Media Marketing for Real Estate

Is It Time to Bring on an Assistant?

Does Your Website Need a Face Lift?

7 Tips to Have an Amazing Newsletter

How organized are you with your day? Maybe you need to hold yourself accountable for your time? I have created a 90 Day Real Estate Planner for you. Check it out. https://www.kimhughes.com/90-day-real-estate-planner/

Connect with ME:

With the surge in the virtual world that began in March and shows no signs of relenting, the real estate market has seen some drastic changes recently. Whether you are trying to reach buyers that are uncomfortable going out, been quarantined due to COVID-19 exposure, or can’t travel due to restrictions, virtual open houses can be a great tool. Likewise, if you are representing the seller, they will likely appreciate you providing exposure to their home while limiting the number of people that physically visit their home. There are definitely some benefits to virtual houses but like anything, if you are going to do it, do it well. Follow these five steps to make sure your virtual open house earns maximum exposure.

Rock Your Next Virtual Open House

1. Plan for it. The planning may be different but just like any open house, you must plan for it. The house should be well-staged, clean, and inviting. Ditch the refreshments and put time into simple staging like setting the dining room table or adding flowers in different rooms. Make sure the owners and pets can be away for the day. With fewer places open for them to go, this may present a challenge for some but even if they just go for a drive or to pick up their latest grocery order, that will allow you to hold an open house.
2. Market the virtual open house like you always would. Many websites and MLS platforms have updated their software to allow information on virtual open houses. Take advantage of this option and share the information there. Make sure you also post it on social media and reach out to your database to make them aware of it too. Encourage your sellers to share your social media posts with their followers as well. If the neighborhood offers a Facebook page or group, that is another great place to post the information.
3. Practice with your technology. If you know what to expect when presenting the home, you will be more comfortable. There is nothing worse than going through an entire open house to find out it didn’t work. Do a couple of quick test runs then watch yourself so you can make adjustments to your delivery and make sure you are easily understood and people are able to follow your remarks.
4. Make notes for each room and part of the house in advance and write them down. No, you shouldn’t read from a script during your tour but the act of writing them down will help you remember the things you want to mention. You will want to share important details about the home with potential buyers so make sure you are telling them the things they can’t see. Don’t overlook spaces like closets and make sure to highlight recent updates as well.
5. Don’t stop after the open house. Just like following up with buyers after a traditional open house, make sure you do the same thing now. Answer questions from buyers if they have any and make sure you share the tour with anyone that didn’t participate in the live viewing. Post the tour to your social media accounts if it wasn’t hosted there so others can view it. For a few dollars a day, you may consider boosting your post to expose it to more people. After you put the work in, you will want to reach as many people as you can.

It’s too early to say if all of the recent virtual changes will stick around for the long haul but while they are here, it’s important to use the tools correctly and to the full extent if you want them to benefit your business as much as possible.

Ready to see the benefits of having Kim Hughes and her team of professional high-level real estate assistants can help you move your business to the next level, help you become more organized so you can focus more on what is important to you. Schedule your 30-minute Strategy Call… https://go.oncehub.com/KimHughes

ANNOUNCEMENT: Have you heard? The Ultimate Expired Listing System has been a huge success for so many agents around the country. Check it out to see if it is for you. https://www.kimhughes.com/the-ultimate-expired-listing-system.

I would also like to invite you to join my exclusive Facebook Group – Real Estate Success Tools is very unique as we share tips, strategies, and more on how YOU can run a more streamlined business by implementing the tips and tools we discuss here. Join us today it will only take a couple of minutes but will change the course of your business. Go ahead…join us now. https://www.facebook.com/groups/realestatesuccesstools/

Ready to take your business to a new level? Here are some great blogs to help you get started:

3 Tips to Rock Your Transaction

Social Media Marketing for Real Estate

Is It Time to Bring on an Assistant?

Does Your Website Need a Face Lift?

7 Tips to Have an Amazing Newsletter

How organized are you with your day? Maybe you need to hold yourself accountable for your time? I have created a 90 Day Real Estate Planner for you. Check it out. https://www.kimhughes.com/90-day-real-estate-planner/

Connect with ME: