Automation is the key to marketing and selling luxury real estate. That is what today’s world of the internet will tell you. Send a form email to everyone in your email list. Put out an advertisement. Send out the social signals on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Get your luxury property into the papers and other local publications. And then wait for the buyers to come streaming in.

These things work. There is no denying that. We have found bidders and buyers through email blasts, advertisements, and even through LinkedIn. Every real estate company or broker does these things. Buyers have all the information that you put out and more, all a couple clicks away on the internet. But what sets you apart as a top luxury real estate pro should be your customer service.

In every facet of our business at Concierge Auctions, we are always striving to “do things better.” With today’s world of the internet and automation, doing things better (ie customer service above and beyond) can really set you apart from the competition.

Below are 5 Ways to Serve Luxury Real Estate Customers Better 1. Reply Right Now

Reply to emails and phone calls immediately. Really what is the point of putting them off. Unless you are really in the middle of something IMPORTANT, there is no reason to open an email and not respond. When a customer gets that email response one minute after they send it they will be impressed.

2. Don’t Over Do It

We use a Customer Relationship Management System (CRM) to manage individual auctions and to manage leads. Our team keeps in touch and is able to tell each other who is doing what with each auction and lead. A client does not want to be contacted by three different people within your company about the same issue. That would just be annoying. Make sure that roles are delineated so that one person responds to each customer in a quick and succinct way.

3. A Personal Touch

Personal contact is key. At Concierge Auctions we have a large staff – project managers to run the day-to-day of the auction sales process, and a marketing team to handle advertising and outreach. So, that staff is often times the ones interacting with customers. It is obviously important for that staff to develop a personal rapport with customers.

But as an executive staff we try to do the same thing. Taking a customer to dinner gives you time to learn about them (and their property). A hand-written letter to client or fellow-broker shows your own personality, and also shows that you took the time to keep in contact. Find your own way to make a personal connection with each of your customers.

4. Keep In Touch

Obviously keep in contact throughout the sales process. But what will really impress a customer? Keep in touch after completing a sale. We like to send a post-closing gift, thanking the customer for choosing our auction process to sell their luxury home OR for purchasing a home at one of our auctions.

Some of our clients are very high-net-worth individuals. They have it all. But they still appreciate the effort, and often times get something they do not think of. For a sale in Jackson Hole we may send a couple ski passes or a fly rod.

There are other ways to keep in touch, but however you do it make sure it gets done. Keeping in touch ensures a customer’s business in the future, and it can also lead to referrals from that satisfied customer.

5. Always look to Improve

I travel a lot. I attend nearly every auction we conduct and we average one auction per week. Many would consider travel time and hotel stays ‘lost’ work time. But I am always working. That does not mean just staying connected to an internet connection or my smart phone.

I am always taking notes on customer service and looking to apply them to our business at Concierge Auctions. Long wait times on a phone call to Delta – something we do not want to emulate. No wait time on a reservation call, curbside service, a “welcome Mr. Russo” on check-in from the concierge at the Four Seasons – things we try to copy in our customer service at Concierge Auctions.

 

For more on great customer service in how to sell luxury real estate click below for our Ultimate Guide to Selling Luxury Real Estate.