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19
Don't Curse the Wind ... Adjust Your Sails
Cutler Real Estate's own Dominic Fonte shared his insight in a recent REAL Pros 20 Minute Webinar Series by REAL Trends discussing today's ever-evolving real estate environment.
Fonte was joined by REAL Trends Vice President Scott Wright, William Coin of Beverly-Hanks REALTORS®, and Wendy Moore of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties in an effort to highlight how successful agents are adjusting to the current business climate.
REAL Trends provides brokerage services such as consulting, valuations, mergers and acquisitions, and business planning. Brokerages and agents alike look to REAL Trends as a source for news, analysis, and information on the residential brokerage industry. The weekly Trendsetters Agent Panel is just one more way REAL Trends is helping those in the industry move their businesses forward.
Importance of Video
Wright asked how agents like Fonte have stayed connected to clients through the COVID-19 health crisis. Fonte said he continues to have success with email videos as a means of keeping in touch with clients, even if they don't plan to buy or sell a home right now.
"Video's huge," he said. "I think when people have a traumatic experience like 9/11, or 2008, or the Gulf War, or what's happening now, it's not our normal lifestyle, and everyone's freaked out … but the old-timers we keep plugging away.
"How I stay connected is instead of doing email, I do email videos, and I make sure I'm reaching out to them," he continues. "Not necessarily if they want to buy or sell, although if they want to of course we'll help them do that. But just educating them, seeing how they're doing, see how their families are, are they getting their yard work done. Just to try to be there and just provide what's really happening from our perspective if they are in the market, how do they do that in a safe manner."
Preparing for a Rebound
With the country beginning to open up again following the shutdown in many states, Wright asked how agents are preparing for a rebound in the market. For Fonte, it's a matter of top-of-mind awareness and reassuring buyers and sellers.
"It's just a matter of educating people like how we're doing showings," Fonte explained. "If you're not willing to want to go out, we understand that, but if you do have to go out—say your mom has to go in a nursing home and you have to sell her home, how do you do that in a safe manner? Or if you're relocating out of state because you have to take another job. They can't wait for the coronavirus.
"I try to reassure them that if you are in a position where you have to do something, I'm here for you," he continues, "and here are the three or four things we're doing as far as protections, not overlapping showings, and how we also do the virtual walk-through."
Consistent Communication
While no one can be totally prepared for an event such as a global health pandemic, seasoned agents know what it takes to keep their businesses moving forward. For Fonte, that means consistently staying in touch with the database of customers.
"You want to make sure you don't just have a real estate experience with them and forget them," he explains. "You want them on a plan, an action plan, a workflow. I find the quickest way to do it is by video because I can blast out 80 short videos in an hour or so because you're not really stuck on the phone. Then if it's an older person or if it's someone who doesn't use email, you can use texting, and you can also make a phone call. Many times, people don't answer live, you can just leave them something short and sweet and compelling, to let them know you're thinking of them."
Wright also asked how each agent has, and continues to deal with, the stress of the health crisis, and Fonte was quick to point out that adapting is the best way to approach such an event.
"We have great bike trails and walking trails," he said. "I have a hybrid bike so I can go 15 miles and then on the way back, I can cheat a little bit. I'm all about nature, birds singing, and having a little bit of fun.
"So, it just helps you recharge your batteries and remember, all this hard work we do, what's it's really about?" he concludes. "I'm not cursing the wind, I'm adjusting my sails."
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