One of the advantages of specializing in a neighborhood niche is that such an agent knows everything that's going on and most everyone who lives there. She's an active participant in the community, its events, and its goals. She impacts her community by helping to develop new construction or preserve historical homes. She serves on commerce and community boards to help attract jobs and economic development. She's intimately familiar with the homes that have sold and scrutinizes the homes that are currently on the market. She knows the history of the neighborhood's homes and its residents. In many cases, she has sold the same home more than once.
She is the local expert.
If you're such an agent, you've developed a wonderful niche. You are the perfect tour guide for your neighborhood, but there's still more you can do to ensure your neighborhood remains desirable. How? You can also be a social leader.
You've got the names and contact information in your online rolodex. It's easy enough to stay in touch by calling people you know and let them know you're thinking about them. It's also easy to let your contacts help you sell more homes, if you let them. How? By introducing them to your prospects so they can make friends.
Here's why it may help. According to a survey performed by Shari and Clyde Steiner, way back in 1998, people have many reasons for moving, but significantly, among those choosing to move (not a company relocation) the biggest advantage to moving, according to 79.2 percent of respondents, was a "change of lifestyle." The second biggest advantage to 66.7 percent of respondents was to make new friends. Curiously, while most people said they were moving to take a new job (8.18 percent) or get a better house (7.55 percent and 45.8 percent were leaving a too-small home), 7.55 percent moved to get away from friends or relatives.
If making new friends is part of the fun of moving to a new neighborhood, few are in a better position than the local real estate expert -- you -- to make introductions. The quicker your home buyers "feel at home" in their new neighborhood, the quicker they'll be passing along referrals to you.
Here are some quick ways to get started:
Ask questions. Find out the special interests of your contacts whether it's rock-climbing or scrapbooks, and resolve to put them in touch with individuals and clubs with the same interests.
Get organized. Use your contact management software to catalog details about your past clients and prospects. That way when you find out that your relocation buyer has a son who's interested in rockclimbing you'll know the right hook-up. Keep notes on schools, clubs, community support centers and social networking groups. Add a community events calendar to your website.
Be committed. Join local associations, service leagues and social clubs yourself so you'll have plenty of contacts, especially those that provide community services. Take your buyers on a tour of your neighborhood to include more than listings for sale. Show them why you and others love it. Show them the community theater with the visiting acting troupes, the dog park, and the little grocery that imports the best Australian wines and Greek olives. In other words, ask some questions and find out your buyer's hot buttons, and show them the things in your neighborhood you think they would enjoy seeing.
Be visible. Put a leash on your dog and head outside. Start knocking on your neighbor's doors. Refresh their memories that the busy lady/gentleman down the street is a working Realtor interested in his/her own neighborhood. Ask, "Do you know of anyone in your neighborhood who might be ready to make a housing change? Anyone with kids off to college? Is there a young family with a new baby? Anyone retiring?" Observe the neighborhood and note changes -- is there a new roof or remodeling going on? Do any homes seem neglected? They could be signaling a possible listing.
Why take your dog? To remind you that work can be fun. Dogs make great conversation and he'll be thrilled to go along. Don't forget to put some business cards in your pocket along with some doggie treats.
Remember conversation starters. Note changes and compliment the homeowner. Ask, "How long have you lived in the area? Did you like your landscaper/roofing contractor? I'm always looking for good referrals for my clients."
Ask permission. It takes personal interaction to sustain a relationship. When you're calling your contacts or your buyers, ask them if they'd like to meet some new people and tell them why you think the introduction would be worthwhile for both parties.
Entertain. You can make up a lot of social ground with a get-together. Choose a fun-sounding theme, such as a fall dinner party and call it "Out of Our Gourds." Serve finger foods, casseroles and soups out of hollowed out pumpkins, squashes and other colorful gourds. Make sure those without family have an invitation on holidays when it's convenient for you to entertain.
What makes socializing work best is thinking of others before you consider what you want to accomplish. As their wants and needs pop into your head, you'll soon find making social and business connections is easy, and new business will take care of itself. Not only will you be the neighborhood expert, you'll also be the binding agent that keeps the neighborhood together.
