Helping your clients fit into their new neighborhood

One of the best pieces of advice any Realtor can follow is to try to develop deeper, more meaningful relationships in their lives. This means that in everyday life, you take the time to really listen to what people around you are saying. In work life, it means asking meaningful questions and listening and then repeating back what you hear. Joe Stumpf, renowned coach and author uses his “5,6,7” (word doc) method to really get to the root of what it is that his clients truly want. It’s usually nothing to do with the physical properties of a house, and everything to do with family, friends, and community.

Stumpf believes that if you develop the relationship with your clients by helping them see deeper into themselves, they will look to you to make their goals happen. Which you will do when you help them get into that new property.

Once they’re in that great new home, however, you’ll find that those clients still look to you for advice. And a great way to continue to be an advisor to them – their real estate resource for life – is to help them transition into loving their new community. And if your client has just made a long distance move, then that follow up can really make the difference in how they perceive their new community.

Now, I’m not saying you need to turn up to all of their kids’ baseball games, or have them over to Sunday dinner every week. What you can do is to offer advice from time to time, via a blog, email, or personal note. These little touches will go so much further than any marketing campaign you can dream up, and are much more cost-effective.

Author Melody Warnick recently released a great read called, This is Where You Belong – the art and science of loving the place you live. On its own, it would make a great closing gift for your relocation buyers and sellers. But you can also use some of her ideas as a springboard for providing tips to your clients. For instance, Warnick suggests a two minute exercise to help you focus on the positive. Simply write down, “I love {my new neighborhood} because…” and then write down some positives.

Another great way to get your client invested in the community is to help them feel at home is by getting involved. Volunteer at a local organization, like a community food bank, animal shelter, library or school and ask your clients to join you. A few might join you and those that do will leave feeling inspired to do more. And someone who is focused on giving to the community will inevitably begin to feel more invested, more rooted. If your clients are scattered over a large area, you can help them find community groups that are involved in their hobbies.

Getting out and about on foot will make the area more familiar, too. If the community hosts outdoor performances in the summer, like Shakespeare in the Park or a summer concert series, jot down a few “did you know about these interesting dates” personal notes and mail to your clients. You can also email links to local bike and nature trails. Or join a national movement and invite your clients to participate in something fun like the Audubon Christmas Bird Count or an annual butterfly count.

Help your clients, past and present, discover more about themselves and their community and you offer them greater value than just the initial transaction. You become their trusted advisor, and one they will be happy to refer to their friends, family and coworkers. You develop more meaningful relationships and greater job satisfaction for yourself, too.