Nothing replaces authenticity and staying connected with people. REALTORS® are expert relationship builders and we’re highlighting a few examples of how REALTORS® across the country are building community beyond the transaction.
According to veteran REALTORS® like Chuck Charlton, a broker with Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty in Milton, Ontario, the job is about creating lifelong partnerships.
“With [REALTORS®], the relationship never ends,” he said. “You have the transaction. But when they see you do things after closing, they know that it’s about the relationship, that he cares about me for me, not because it was a means to that [transactional] end. People will smell if it’s just a tactic. It needs to come from the authentic parts of you.”
At his brokerage, they’ve had bowling parties and axe-throwing events. They had a Back to the Future DeLorean at a client event. After a transaction, Charlton’s team will send popcorn to the client, so they can relax in their new home and have a movie night.
Every quarter they try to do something charitable, and Pride Month is a big occasion for them. In fact, his brokerage was one of the first groups to bring drag shows to Milton. One of his team members had spoken about still feeling uncomfortable holding his husband’s hand in public. “I want him in a community where he can feel the same way I feel holding my wife’s hand,” Charlton said on why Pride Month is important to their team.
Lending a helping hand to the community you serve
Peggy Hill, a REALTOR® and broker in Barrie, Ontario, discussed on the REAL TIME Podcast how her team bought community dumpsters during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people clean their homes when the dumps were closed.
Phil Moore, a broker with RE/MAX Crest Realty in Burnaby, British Columbia, stepped up with other local REALTORS® to organize helicopter runs with food and supplies for more than 1,200 people in Hope, British Columbia when they were cut off due to flooding in 2021. That effort distributed more than 30 tons of food in 46 helicopter and truck rides. REALTORS® worked together and raised $40,000 to pay for the helicopter fuel costs.
“Even before they call you, clients have a bunch of knowledge about you because of social media,” said Moore. “The perception is that we are all about the transaction. REALTORS® are much more than that. We have families. We do things in our community. REALTORS® do care.”
To read more stories about REALTORS® making an impact in communities across the country, or ideas about how you can make a difference, check out REALTORSCare.ca.
Staying in touch over many years
For most folks, a real estate transaction might only happen once every several years or decades. That means for REALTORS®, staying top of mind can be a challenge.
“Over 14-plus years as an agent, I’ve created a community of my own clients. I keep in touch with everyone, in some way or another throughout every year. That could something as simple as sending a video message on their birthday, or as intimate as breaking bread one-on-one,” said Laura Keller, a broker with RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd., in Carleton Place, Ontario. “Lots of my clients eventually become friends. I host client events every year, like free family portraits, celebrating National Ice Cream Day at our local ice cream shop, and I even host an annual Thanksgiving party at my house.”
Laura recognizes this approach is a commitment, and it has to be natural. She had a past client reach out a month ago. Their first and only transaction was in 2013. Keller made a point of staying in touch with him over the 11 years.
“My clients know I’m not just putting on a show,” Keller added. “Working by referral has worked so well for me that I don’t have to spend any money on personal promotion outside of my client base. I sponsor local events, volunteer in the community and, by being a constant name in my area, it all stacks together and has helped me grow my business. I’m a top producer, not just in my area, and I go to work most days feeling excited to make a difference in someone’s life.”
Manny Andrade, owner/broker of record for Royal LePage Supreme Realty Inc., in Toronto, Ontario, said business comes down to the three “Cs”: contact, care and communication.
“As we celebrate an acquisition with our clients, we realize it’s the biggest transaction of that client’s lifetime. And there’s so much emotion attached to it,” said Andrade. “The human side of things, the emotional side of things, connect us deeply with our clients and allow us to build long-lasting relationships and foster repeat and referral business. It’s not uncommon for a veteran like myself, with close to four decades in this business, to sell to three or four generations in the same family.”
Andrade said they coach their agents to stay in touch with their clients on a regular basis.
“I am a big and strong proponent of the personal touch. I love the handwritten note, I love the telephone call, I love the visit to past and current clients,” he said. “This keeps us in touch, this makes us good human beings, this makes us good professionals. It makes so much sense.”
Being active in all aspects of your community
Tim Somerville, a REALTOR® and salesperson with Royal LePage Atlantic in Saint John, New Brunswick, said it’s important to show communities that REALTORS® are people too. For example, his team is working to make sure the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event comes to Saint John this year for the first time, which they participated in last year in Fredericton. They’re at the outdoor country music festival and they’re sponsoring movie nights at the local theatre. Somerville is involved in the Lions Club and Chamber of Commerce, and plays and coaches hockey and baseball. Being seen as putting effort and energy into events has an enduring impact on people in the community.
“We put everything into it,” said Somerville. “I’m constantly in the community. When they see me it’s not just because of real estate. And if they see we are putting everything into it, then of course we’re probably going to do the same selling their home.”
Mike Heddle, a broker with Royal LePage State Realty in Hamilton, Ontario, said it’s no coincidence that top-performing REALTORS® all buy into this mindset.
He said he doesn’t consider himself only a salesperson, but rather takes more of a “consultative approach” in building longer-term relationships with people. His services to clients range from renting out a movie theatre for screenings to sending them home equity reports around tax time.
“We’re a big referral business; we don’t spend a lot of money on billboards and that kind of marketing,” he said. “It’s about delivering value, checking in. When it comes to a real estate transaction, how can you make sure your name is the first that comes to mind?”
How do you build lasting relationships with your clients? Share your tips in the comments.
