Growth and adaptation of your business relationships with real estate agents

At the commercial real estate agency, the relationships you have with your clients will change and change throughout the year as your property needs change. Importantly, you need to adjust your approach and make all of your contact processes relevant and of great value.

There is no point in contacting the same prospect or customer with the same information and strategy every time they call. Fresh information and ideas from the market will help the customer relationship grow. So what kind of information can you provide that helps the customer connect with you?

Try some of these:

• Time in market factors that impact different types of properties.
• The levels of research currently coming through the local region.
• Price trends with properties on the market and those that have sold
• Rental Strategies and Recent Lease Results
• Yields and maximum rates that apply to prices and rentals
• Best Marketing Strategies That Get Better Queries Locally

In an ideal world, you should be ‘on top’ of these facts as part of your daily business in the commercial real estate market. It is simply a matter of having the information available in a form that you can provide to the clients and prospects you work with.

Here are some ways to distribute the information to the people in your database that you see as targets for more new business:

1. Start a blog with your own name and with the local area and type of property in which you specialize. Each week you can write one or two short articles on current market activity and trends. Given this, you can link to your blog post in your emails and newsletters that you send out.
2. Your database must be built and contained in a system where you can transmit many emails and newsletters. It is better to send an email newsletter at least once every fortnight.
3. The previous two points are “electronic” and related to the Internet. You will still need some more “traditional” approaches to get the information to your customers and prospects. Direct mail once a month will be helpful. Include a ‘hard copy’ of your newsletter in the submission process. Always include your business card in every direct letter you send.
4. Create what I call “a leaf.” It is essentially a single sheet of paper printed on one or two sides. It is a mini version of your newsletter and provides an update. You can comfortably copy the number of ‘individual sheets’ you need as the weeks progress. Black and white copy is fine for the process, but always attach your business card to the sheet. Use the “single sheet” to meet new people or prospects, or to knock on the doors of local businesses. Use the sheet as a marketing tool to “leave behind.” It is a simple but very effective process to get the potential customer’s attention.

Be sensitive to changing and growing relationships with all of your prospects and contacts. Your marketing material can be tailored to your ever-changing real estate needs.