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As prices skyrocket and the real estate market cools, one deal can mean the difference between keeping your business afloat or being in the red. With fewer people enquiring about listings and turning up at open houses, now is not the time to miss phone calls and waste opportunities.
Technology makes it easier for businesses to connect with clients. At the same time, it’s also made expectations harder to meet. Buyers and tenants want to be able to reach you whenever they need to, but it’s impossible to stay glued to your phones all day. You’re expected to be available at all hours, but callers don’t want to be sent to machines.
So how will you modernise your approach to customer service, without losing a personal touch?
Building bridges
Answering machines, automated emails, and chatbots are popular tools in managing enquiries. But while these make work faster and more efficient, it also puts more legitimacy towards businesses that rely on more traditional forms of communication.
Next to meeting clients face-to-face, phone calls are still the most effective way of connecting with clients. There’s something about hearing another person’s voice that makes it easier for customers to build trust. With the kind of money that your clients are putting into a property, establishing credibility is important.
The effect is the same on you, too – clients become real and there is more urgency to respond in a way that makes them feel valued and important. The challenge is, how do you make time for all your calls without sacrificing other profit-driving tasks?
Keeping your clients engaged
Unlike any other type of business, working in real estate requires actively carving out time for prospecting. This could easily be hours of you sitting by your desk, making phone call after phone call. But what happens when someone calls you and they get a busy tone?
The process of buying or selling property can be frustrating, and understandably so. Each client needs to feel that their concerns are your top priority. After all, decisions this big only come once or twice in a lifetime.
Your business needs to be easy to reach and always available to address any concerns. When you’ve spent all this effort attracting new clients, it’s vital to have a backup in place, so they never feel like their calls are unimportant to you.
Finding the right balance
If hiring a full-time operator is not yet an option, virtual solutions are the next best thing. A live answering service helps real estate businesses manage overflow or after-hours calls, so you can catch up on paperwork or go on networking events without making clients feel neglected.
Unlike other types of technology, live answering doesn’t replace one-on-one interactions with your clients. Instead, it shows that you value their calls enough to have a real person answer their calls. It’s the perfect balance between real service and automation. Instant email and SMS notifications let you review messages as they come, so you can make urgent callbacks and show clients that their business matters.
Alltel provides a unique suite of business communication technologies, second to none in meeting the changing needs of growing Australian businesses. We specialise in tailored solutions including, but not limited to, Inbound Numbers, Live Phone Answering Services and Hosted Business Phone Systems.
Brought to you by Pia Rios, Head of Marketing, Alltel Australia
