If you aren’t already aware of this NAR statistic, prepare yourself: 87% of consumers begin their home search online. Yep, 87%, well over two-thirds of Home buyers start their search online.
This is great news for agents and brokers marketing their properties online. But here’s the clincher: the NAR also tells us that a whopping 48% of internet leads go unanswered and unattended. Forgive me, but that is just madness!
In today’s real estate market, the opportunity is ripe to build your business by providing exceptional, attentive customer service. With the proliferation of online apps, social media, and smartphone usage, your potential to reach and respond to clients grows every day. But you have to be in those places too, and you need to make sure you’re set up to not let quality online leads slip through the cracks.
Customers are online in droves. But it’s up to you to attract them, engage them and retain them. Utilize inbound marketing tools to help customers find you, not your competition. Make use of products and services designed to empower you to efficiently expand your business while generating more traffic and better leads.
If I was to contact you today via your website, would I receive a professional response within 15 minutes? If not, you may have already lost my business. It’s not enough for your site to look pretty – it needs to be functional, automated and effective, too.
Be known for delivering an experience beyond what you project online or in your other marketing materials. Follow up, follow through, stay connected, and maintain a high level of service even after you’ve closed a sale. Because here’s another NAR statistic worth noting: 41% of real estate customers still rely on personal referrals when hiring an agent or broker.