With agents’ value under attack from all sides, the most important thing they can do today is focus on improving client relationships, principals at Glennda Baker & Associates told Inman Connect Las Vegas attendees.
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Glennda Baker, considered by many to be the social media queen of the real estate industry, didn’t come to Inman Connect in Las Vegas to discuss the film.
Leaders at Coldwell Banker’s Glennda Baker & Associates had something more pressing to talk about Tuesday: reimagined relationships.
“Building relationships with customers has never been more important,” Baker told a vibrant Inman Connect audience at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
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“Everyone is telling consumers we’re not worth it. We’re not worth the money,” Baker told the crowd. “All we do is open the door. All we do is take you on a tour. We are glorified tour guides. I disagree with that.”
Baker went on to say that agents have long been positioned in the role of service providers, but today the customer relationship deserves more attention.
Baker took the opportunity to take a subtle dig at Zillow and its vision for the industry.
“There’s a technology provider — I won’t name them in the video — who thinks they can replace us with their platform,” Baker said. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are not here to be replaced.”
“Everyone wants a piece of the commission, which is why it’s so important to have a good relationship with your clients – so you don’t get replaced and they don’t forget about you.”
Baker went on to explain how an agent’s past clients and reach, their community, and referrals between agents can be the greatest relationships in terms of returns.
When Baker makes a new relationship, instead of entering details that would get lost in the vast black hole of a CRM, she puts their contact information, photos, and information she’s learned about them as a new contact into her phone .
“You have to take soft notes and hard notes, and you have to exchange life stories,” she said.
Baker half-jokingly said that in addition to exchanging stories and being a source of all information for clients, agents should also learn how to be trackers.
“This is where I should tell you, it’s OK to be a stalker,” she told the Connect audience. “If someone posts something on Facebook or Instagram, they want you to know…this is a great opportunity for you to honor their memory.”
“If you’re not taking advantage of birthdays on Facebook, what are you doing?” she later added. “You guys, it’s free.”
Baker said she likes to “surprise and delight” people in her circle by wishing them a happy birthday with a customized video or sending cupcakes.
Baker added that she also enjoys hosting events that “create endless opportunities” for clients to connect, such as her “Coffee and Contest” events, where she hosts coffee and discusses community contests and one of her new listings, or her During the “Eight to Eight” event, she invited three couples to her home for dinner cooked by a private chef.
She also hosts “Appetizers and Assessments” events, which clients find particularly helpful in today’s market. “People have never been more confused about the value of their homes than they are today,” Baker noted.
Baker points out that breaking bread with people or inviting them into your home creates a more personal connection. In these types of interactions, customers cross the threshold from client to friend. The same transformation occurs when agents help clients commemorate milestones in their lives.
Baker adds that while closing gifts can be tricky, they are another way to create a more personal connection with your customers.
“Some people don’t believe in closing gifts,” Baker said. “I’ll tell you the truth, they’re tricky. You sell someone a million-dollar house, what gift do you give them? They can buy whatever they want.
The gift that works best for Baker is a cake with a photo of the client’s new home. Her clients cherish this gift, even if they are celebrities.
“He saved that cake; he wouldn’t let anyone eat it because it meant so much to him,” Baker said of a high-end client in Atlanta whom she helped purchase his first a house. “The guy bought a $2.3 million house – he can buy whatever he wants.”
As Baker showed off the custom gift wrap she made with her face on it (courtesy giftwrapmyface.com), she expressed her gratitude to the Inman Connect audience for the time they shared with her.
“I love being a real estate agent,” Baker said. “I’m honored that Inman has given me a platform to stand up and talk to you. It means so much to me that you took the time to sit here and you’ll never know. But most of all it’s your attention to me. Attention to you of customers. Treat them like the valuable assets they are.
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