With the busiest part of the real estate year rapidly falling into our rearview mirror, it’s time to start thinking about next year’s selling season. Contrary to popular belief, though, just because summer has ended doesn’t necessarily mean that your selling season is entirely over.
Sure, most families with children have gotten back into the school groove and likely aren’t going to relocate, but this doesn’t mean that the entire market has to go cold with the weather. Here are some tips for preparing for the fall real estate market.
Close those Stubborn Sales
One thing that real estate agents sometimes overlook is that there are plenty of sales still waiting to be closed, but after a busy summer can sometimes seem a little overkill or excessive work. The reality is that there is plenty of fruit ripe for the picking if you’re willing to put in that extra work to help your clients.
Not only will you boost your sales, but you could potentially get more clients, better references, and an uptick in testimonials. Helping clients during the off-season is often when you can really capitalize on customer service as many homebuyers are potentially struggling to find a home or just need the right agent to steer them to the right home.
Follow Up with Existing Customers
The summer sales season can get hectic if not downright crazy, and sometimes you simply don’t have the time to get the personal touches and customer service that you’d otherwise like to offer. As things slow down, and the calendar turns to fall, it’s a great time to follow up on those clients you may have not spoken to in a couple of months.
This is the perfect opportunity to check in with your client base as they’ve likely settled into their new homes, have calmed down from the frantic moving process, and have had an opportunity to collect their thoughts. Depending on how you choose to approach it, you could do as little as a quick text message or email or as much as phone calls and personal meetings if the opportunity is right.
Gather Reviews and Testimonials
Along that same line of thinking, if you’re the type of agent who really thrives on customer interaction, then use your follow-ups and conversations as opportunities to get reviews and testimonials from your clients. Sure, you’ve got plenty of satisfied clients, but how many of them have made those sentiments public?
Use the fall as a chance to go back through your best client Rolodex and try to better improve your image and reviews. After all, word of mouth is still the most powerful marketing and sales tool you have, but being able to leverage it in a modern digital way will help you gain more traction for the coming year.
Try New Showing Ideas
The fall selling season is a unique one, especially compared to the summer. In the summer, it’s easy to stage a house. Things are green and the colors of the home pop in the bright sunlight, but when the fall rolls around, things can get a little drab and seem in need of a little facelift.
Use the fall as an opportunity to try some new or unique staging tactics that you may otherwise not have time to try in the summer. For example, consider adding seasonal landscaping, connecting with tradespeople, and finding ways to give a home the curb appeal it deserves even when the weather doesn’t let it shine its best light.
