Communication is key.

Real estate, like many other fields, involves many types of communication, with clients, with other Realtors, with mortgage brokers, with the general public, and more. Having been in the business 26 years, I continue to see that good communication skills can make or break a real estate deal. Most issues can be avoided or solved through effective communication.

Let’s first look at how we, as Realtors, communicate with our clients. Historically, the most common complaint that sellers have with regard to their listing agent is that they put a sign in the ground and then they rarely, or never hear from them again. Picking up the phone to call a seller with no news or bad news may not be easy, but it beats them being in the dark and speculating as to what’s going on with their home. With so many ways to communicate these days, find out which method they prefer and keep them informed.

One of the most valuable tools we have as Realtors beyond our experience is providing feedback to our clients. When I was young and first in the business, I would hold back some comments for fear of insulting my clients. I learned quickly that was not helpful at all; feedback is key to understanding how the home is perceived in the marketplace.

Communication is no less important in dealing with a buyer. Imagine that you’re anxious to find a home and you don’t hear a word from your agent. Is it because there are no homes that fit your criteria, or is it because the agent is busy and “hasn’t had time” to update you? Again, no excuse for that. It’s even more important when you’re trying to negotiate a deal on a home and there’s no communication. Talk about stress and anxiety! Any news is better than no news.

Next, let’s look at how a Realtor communicates with the general public and vice versa. Very often, people don’t understand how the process works, and we as Realtors can forget that. The onus is really on us to explain things carefully and simply when necessary. To set expectations.

For instance, if someone calls me after seeing my sign in front of a home, and is interested in seeing the home, I always ask if they’re currently working with a Realtor. Nothing is more frustrating than spending time with a potential customer, only to find out they are someone else’s client. Again, I feel that it’s our job to educate clients about that process, so it doesn’t cause problems later on.

Another common complaint I hear is that people call an agent for information about one of their properties, and they never get a return call. This completely baffles me, and certainly does nothing to boost the agent’s reputation. If a customer took the time to call me about a property, the least I can do is return their call, even if the house is under contract or out of their price range. This is not only common courtesy, it makes good business sense. That phone call could be my next new client.

Lastly, let’s look at communication among Realtors. I don’t think the general public can appreciate how important this networking is. It can very easily make or break a deal. We are all working toward the same goal – to match the right buyer with the right home at the right price. Even though we are working on opposite sides of the transaction, the right communication is essential to making a deal work. That means promptly returning other agents’ calls and messages during every step of the process. Lack of communication is frustrating, and can not only trickle down to the client – it can mean they are missing opportunities!

Especially in a market with low inventory, like we’re experiencing now, networking with other agents is one of the best tools we have to sell our listings and find homes for our buyers. If I ask an agent for feedback from a showing, and they respond and tell me why it wasn’t right for their buyer, I am way more likely to call that agent in advance when I have another listing coming up that may better suit their client’s needs. If they never responded to me, I may not have the opportunity to give them a heads-up about a new listing. Again, it’s not just common courtesy – it’s good business.

In the end, I think it’s fair to say that good communication is important in just about any field, but from my experience, it’s absolutely essential in being a successful Realtor with happy clients.