Your best leads are the clients you already have. Nurture those connections to drive business back long after the deal is done.

Matt Laricy

REALTOR® Matt Laricy makes sure he gets remembered after every sale.

At a closing, clients get a $300 bottle of Ace of Spades champagne, a brand from Jay Z and Beyonce’s French vineyard.

“It costs me a lot of money, but it speaks for itself. It comes in a black lacquer box, and the gold bottle is beautiful,” says Laricy, managing partner of The Matt Laricy Group with Americorp Real Estate in Chicago. “So, even after people drink it, they keep the empty bottle and box on their bar cart or bar. You win over and over again. When they see the bottle on the bar years later, the client talks about you.”

The closing gift is just one way that Illinois REALTORS® forge lasting relationships that extend across the years and yields results when clients refer acquaintances. Underscoring the importance of building relationships is the 2018 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Consider:

• Ninety percent of buyers would use their agent again or recommend their agent to others, according to the report.
• Forty-one percent of buyers used an agent that was referred to them by a friend, neighbor or relative, but only 12 percent actually used the same agent they had used before.

Becky Kirchner

The 12 percent who account for repeat business should be a much bigger number, says REALTOR® Becky Kirchner, of RE/MAX Plaza in Woodstock.

“The biggest “don’t” that real estate agents are guilty of is not following up. They don’t communicate,” she says. “The business that you had is the best business you will have.”

She said agents need to stay in touch and remind former clients that they had a great transaction.

“It’s so much cheaper to stay in touch than buy billboards, leads or other marketing plans,” she says.

Long-lasting connections begin in the beginning

Suzanne Miller

Before you can make a lifelong bond, you need to let your client feel like they are the only client you have from the outset, says Suzanne Miller, president of the Peoria Area Association of REALTORS®. She also is a broker and relocation specialist at Jim Maloof REALTOR® in Peoria.

“From the first meeting, you need to put your phone down, look people in the eyes and concentrate on exactly what they are saying,” she says. “If you tell them that they can call you if they need anything, they need to know that you mean what you are saying.”

Tracey Williams

By spending a lot of time with people in the beginning of a transaction, you can gain so much, says REALTOR® Tracey Williams, president and managing broker at TEAM Real Estate Services in Oak Park.

“Get to know them. Give them information and guidance step by step. Some people, especially senior citizens, can be untrusting of REALTORS®,” she adds. “You need to hand hold them and be very patient.”

After helping clients sell or buy a home, here are some ideas that successful Illinois REALTORS® say work for them to keep close and in contact for years:

Karen Parent

Sending anniversary cards when a client bought or sold a house – Most clients have no clue when exactly they purchased their home, says Karen Parent, an associate at RE/MAX Achievers in Lombard. So, she sends out anniversary cards referring to the milestone date.

“For first-time buyers, they really love it,” she said. “A lot of clients will send me an updated photo of the changes they have made.”

Make a phone call, send a text or note, and ask for recommendations – It doesn’t have to be expensive to let people know you are there, Kirchner says.

“And, don’t be afraid to ask for business. I work with a business coach, and that’s something I still am working on,” she said.

Joe Castillo

But make sure all of your correspondence is not hyper-focused on real estate and gives added value to their lives, says Joe Castillo, broker/owner at RE/MAX MI CASA Real Estate in Chicago.

Find them the people they need – When Castillo’s clients need help rehabbing their homes before they sell or after they buy, he has worked as a resource.

“I help with minor design when it comes to updating bathrooms or finishing up a basement,” he said.

Castillo also shares the name of general contractors and home repair specialists.

Follow them on social media – If you pay attention on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or other social media platforms to former clients, you’ll know when things are happening to them, Williams adds.

“If they have a new baby, send a card. If they got a new job, let them know you are happy for them,” she said. “It doesn’t take a lot of time, but it keeps you connected.”

About the writer: Lee Nelson, a freelance writer in Illinois, works with many clients including the National Association of REALTORS®. She can be reached at [email protected].

Parting gifts and actions lead to more sales

Many REALTORS® believe closing gifts or kind actions after the sale or purchase of a home can enhance the relationship. Gifts don’t have to be expensive, they say. Here are some ideas:

Search for something personal – Does your client run marathons or bake cupcakes for family and friends? Then take some time to go to specialized stores to find the perfect reflective running jacket or fancy-shaped cupcake pans.

“Make it specific to their journey or what they’ve experienced in life,” Williams says.

Kirchner has dropped off three pounds of dog treats to those dog lovers on her list. Parent asks clients ahead of time what gift card would be most useful for their home.

Make them safe – As part of her closing package for buyers, Kirchner gets a locksmith to change the locks. For one buyer who wanted to do a combination front lock and security camera, she applied the credit she would pay on new locks toward the camera expense.

Be indispensable – Miller let the cable person in to a couple’s home that just bought a house. They couldn’t be there and knew no one else in town.

“I can relate to people like that,” she said. “I came to Peoria 25 years ago and didn’t know anyone.”

Williams once picked up a client’s son from school.

“I’ll go and get him,” she told the panicking mother, who was stuck at the bank dealing with closing money.

“Those are just the things some brokers do. I’m a single mom, too, and I don’t have that huge of a support system. When she talks about her property and process, she talks about her broker who went to pick up her son.”

Keep them informed – Castillo’s company emails neighborhood updates about upcoming events or new restaurant openings. He also offers services to first-time homebuyers to help when assessments and tax bills come out to help them understand the paperwork received, and to refer them to their attorney if they need one.

“This offer is always well received and endears us to our younger clients that purchased for the first time,” he said.

Last October, Miller had clients buy a house close to hers. She rolled over a utility wagon full of games and stuff to keep the kids occupied while unpacking, along with providing a bottle of wine for the busy parents.

“I came over when they asked me to, and we had pizza together. It made them feel at home,” she says. “Not everyone will get that ‘first date’ spark or have a lifelong connection. But just make sure they feel when the deal is over that they can email you, text you or just pick up the phone.”