So far in our REALTOR Tips series, we’ve discussed handling real estate leads, catering to clients and becoming an expert. Now it’s time to look at keeping things professional. After all, home buyers and sellers have a choice in who they work with when buying and selling a house. When clients have a good experience, they will share that with others. Naturally, the same is true for bad experiences too. Any unprofessional behaviors may cost a REALTOR both current and future business.
Here’s what it take for keeping things professional as a REALTOR:
Appearance
Despite the acceptance of athleisure wear for everyday clothing, REALTORS still need to pay special attention to clothing and appearance. This is especially true when meeting with clients. No need to be in a full suit necessarily, but think business casual and err on the side of conservative. Otherwise, you run the risk of being seen as “sloppy” or “messy” which can influence potential clients’ impressions of how you run your business as well.
Reliability and Consistency
REALTORS are working with home buyers and sellers during extremely emotional times. Professional agents understand the importance of being both reliable and consistent for their clients. Responding promptly, communicating clearly and explaining all parts of what you are doing will set clients at ease, letting them feel confident in your capabilities.
Honesty and integrity
No client wants to lose trust in an agent. Even small lies will only make situation worse. So, even when mistakes are made, it’s better to admit them and propose a solution than to try and cover something up. In addition, REALTORS have a specific code of ethics to follow and many agents go on to seek a GRI, which demonstrates an even stronger commitment to a higher standard of professionalism.
Competency
Professional REALTORS continually seek to be an expert in their field, which we covered in this post. Essentially, that means staying on top of continuing education credits, attending industry related seminars and classes and actively gaining depth knowledge on real estate standards and procedures.
Another fantastic way to keep things professional? Join a strong team! If you’d like to know more about becoming a professional REALTOR, call DeSelms Real Estate today at 615.550.5565!