Archives for December 2021

How to Attract Client Reviews and Testimonials As a Real Estate Agent

December 7, 2021 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

Almost 85% of home buyers and sellers say that the Internet was their most important source of information during the home buying process, according to the National Association of Realtors. This is because people conduct research online more than on TV or any other medium.

Importance of Client Reviews

As a real estate agent, you probably know how important it is to get feedback from your clients after they use your services. For some companies, this may be a questionnaire, for others a simple comment card, and for some businesses like yours, it’s probably your website. Either way, you want to ensure that there is some form of feedback left by those who rely on your services.

Having client reviews and testimonials can become one of the most powerful ways to attract new business and build your brand. They can also be very helpful when you are going through the process of preparing for a listing presentation or a new listing appointment.

It is important to note that certain components lead to a successful client review/testimonial on your website: it has to be on your website, easy to find, visually appealing, relevant, and very trustworthy. There’s no point in having a testimonial from someone who doesn’t exist on your site or because they felt pressured into leaving one. If any of these points apply, then their testimonial will not be as effective as you would like it to be. Also, keep in mind that too many testimonials may not be a good thing.

So, as a real estate agent, you’re probably wondering how to get clients to leave reviews and testimonials. After all, they are very important for your company’s improvements. Luckily, some steps can be taken to obtain them.

Make It Easy

Make sure you have an easy way for clients to provide a testimonial. An easily accessible button on your website is great, but you can also send them a questionnaire form to complete after they have used your services. You can also send links to your Facebook page or Google Business listing. Once your client provides a review on one (or both) of these sites, you can add the testimonial to your website’s testimonial section.

Timing Is Everything

Make sure that you ask your client for a review or their testimonial at the exact time that they are most happy with their experience with you. It could be after closing, after settlement, or even just before they leave if their schedule is flexible. Be mindful of your clients’ schedules right after closing. Requesting a testimonial on moving day might not be a good idea. Ask for the review from a seller of an empty house right after closing, but maybe wait a week before asking a buyer who is moving into a new home.

Don’t Rush or Nag

It’s important that, as a real estate agent, you don’t push clients into leaving reviews for your website; after all, you want them to be completely okay with it. After all, if they are not happy with the service they received from you, why would they leave a positive review? The best approach is to mention it casually at the end of an email or during a conversation on the phone.

Make Sure They Are Personalized

Testimonials should be about the client’s personal experience and opinion instead of just some generic statement that could easily apply to anyone who has ever interacted with your business. This way, your testimonials will have more value for readers that stumble upon them while researching potential home sellers or buyers.

Don’t Forget About Follow Up

You must follow up with the client after they have left their testimonial or review. Thanking them for taking the time to leave you a glowing review will be the cherry on top of their excellent experience. And be sure to respond to the review on public review sites such as Google Business or Zillow.

Social Proof

Social proof is essential in the real estate business. Make sure you include information about how many homes your company has sold, awards won, etc. This adds social proof because it shows potential sellers/buyers that you are experienced, knowledgeable, and trustworthy when working on behalf of your client’s best interests.

Use an Automated Review System

Finally, as your business grows, you might consider that whatever testimonial review system you use should be automated. This way, you will have more time to focus on improving your business and fulfilling the real estate experience of your current clients. Just be sure to include a personal touch.

Real estate agents are looking for new ways to stand out from the crowd. They want to separate themselves from their competitors, and one of the best ways is through positive feedback. Agents who take the time to ask previous clients for reviews will gain an edge over their competitors by increasing their online presence and search engine rankings.

About the Author

Scott Russell is the owner and broker-in-charge of Freestone Properties, an Asheville real estate company.

Family Legacy: How to Secure the Future of Your Family Business

December 7, 2021 by Diana Smith Leave a Comment

Succession can often be a difficult and painful topic of discussion, but it is also essential for any family business, as it allows you to plan for the future and make sure all your hard work won’t go to waste once you leave the company. But with so few family businesses surviving into the second or third generation, you might be wondering how you could make succession a painless and successful process. To help you ensure your family legacy lives on, here are some efficient ways you could secure the future of your family business:

Start by teaching the foundations

Among the most valuable things you could pass on to future generations is a deep understanding of your business, a cultural, historical, as well as a strategic one. It’s quite important for your children to know your company’s core principles and objectives that hold the entire business together, in order to ensure those efficient practices are upheld in the future as well.

So, aim to involve your children in the family business early on. Explain to them the policies you have, how they have evolved, and all the advantages they have. Encourage them to become a part of the company, whether that means taking on a small role or working with a mentor that will educate them, in an effort to learn more about your business.

Encourage the development of skills

Of course, hiring your children into existing jobs that are clearly defined and meaningful for their future is absolutely essential. Apart from allowing them to deepen their knowledge of business operations, this will also give them the opportunity to gain valuable experience and develop the necessary skills for taking over the family business.

However, this could also be taken a step further. If you want to nurture the next generation of leaders, you could also encourage your children to develop additional skills that don’t necessarily relate to the company, but will likely make them better bosses in the future. In most cases, this includes crucial soft skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, communication, and teamwork skills.

Create a good will and estate plan

Having skilled, interested, and enthusiastic family members might be essential for the further development and success of your business, but it won’t be enough to guarantee favorable outcomes alone. You will also need to draft certain legal documents while you’re still in charge, to ensure the future of your business will follow your guidelines and goals.

For that reason, it’s recommended to consult experienced and reputable wills and estates lawyers who will help you create the best plan for the future. By putting together the right documents such as wills and power of attorneys, estate planning with professional lawyers will give you the opportunity to name your successors and outline your wishes for the business, as well as determine all other necessary aspects of inheritance.

Determine who will be included

When planning your estate and the future of your company, deciding exactly who will be included in the family business will be an important part of the process. Different families will set different boundaries and create different plants, and the decisions you make will ultimately depend on what’s best for your specific situation.

For instance, you could choose to include your spouse, all of your offsprings, only the children who are truly interested in the business, or just those family members who have gained knowledge and experience through previous involvement. No matter what you decide, remember that transparency is key to a happy outcome.

Gather all individual perspectives

It can be quite valuable for all family members to engage in face-to-face conversations regarding the business. This allows you to gather unfiltered opinions on your business from your family members and additional information on the general career and life plans your children have for their future.

Some family members might be quite eager to take over the business, while others would rather follow their own path. Whether you are able to talk to them openly and directly or you decide to go through a neutral third party, having an understanding of your family’s wishes can allow you to adjust and adapt your business plans to better suit the future of your company.

While planning for succession can be challenging for any business owner, there are evidently ways to make it easier. Simply by being open and honest, encouraging involvement, and creating a suitable plan, you can secure the future of your family business.

The Future of Your Business: What’s Your Long-Term Plan?

December 7, 2021 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

When you first set up your business, you’re mostly thinking about getting through the next month or year. You might have grand plans for the future, but they’re not always at the forefront of your mind because you’re so busy getting your business off the ground. However, at some point when your business is more stable, you might want to start thinking about more of a long-term plan for your business and for you. What are you planning to do with your business as it grows and as you get older? Will you sell up, pass it on to your children, or perhaps take more of a backseat role?

Business Succession Planning

The truth is that you’re not going to be around forever. You never know if you might one day be unable to run your business, whether due to injury or disability or your death. You can’t predict the future, but you can be sure that you eventually won’t be able to run your business anymore. Business succession planning helps you to plan for any eventuality. One important step is to visit a site like keypersoninsurance.com to make plans for life insurance. You should ensure that not only are you covered but also any key people in your company are insured.

Image from Pexels – CC0 License

Handing Down the Family Business

If you’re running a family business or one you hope to hand down to your children or other family members, it’s a key part of preparing for the future. Whoever you want to take the reins after you retire, they need to be prepared so that you feel confident about letting them take over. This can be a process that takes years if you want them to be ready and have all of the skills and knowledge that they need. One thing to consider is that whoever takes over might take the business in their own direction and find a new way of doing things.

Selling Your Company

Not everyone wants to keep their business forever. Selling up can be very tempting if your business is valuable. By selling your business, you could gain the funds to try out a new business idea or perhaps bolster your retirement fund. If selling your business is something that you think you might do in the future, you should think about how it’s going to be attractive to potential buyers. If the business is too attached to your name, it could be difficult to continue its success when you’re no longer there.

Stepping Back

You might not want to sell your business, but stepping back from being in a leadership role might be something you’re thinking about. Letting other people take care of the day-to-day running of the business so that you can retire, travel or move on to other things could work out for you. If this is something you’re interested in, you’ll need a plan to ensure you have the right people running your business for you.

Think about what you want to happen to your business in the future so that you can make a plan that can be put in place.

5 Improvements You Can Make To Your Business

December 7, 2021 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

https://unsplash.com/photos/cYUMaCqMYvI

No matter who you are, you should always be searching for ways you can improve your business. These improvements will benefit you, your employees, and your customers and clients, meaning any company that ignores possible improvements will not experience the growth and success it desires. But, it is not as straightforward as offering free coffee in the breakroom or even flexible or remote working. If you want to see legitimate improvements, here are five areas to consider.

Update the System

Every business works online in some capacity nowadays whether it’s creating content, contacting clients, or planning their next move. So, it only makes sense that you do everything you can to keep the systems running at optimal capacity. Upgrading these systems is the best approach to this, as it allows for quick data transfers and full compatibility. It is time to look at your current servers and connections and consider how fiber optic cables and other improvements can be made. You can also increase server capacity to handle more demand, which is something you will need at a later date to prevent crashes and downtime.

Diversify Your Marketing Strategy

Marketing strategies always change, from billboards back in the day to radio and TV in the mid-to-late 20th century. These strategies are still present, but they have been overtaken by internet marketing. Many companies will prioritize these platforms over others, yet this can be a hindrance, as you rely on a single market to advertise your product. By adopting different strategies and diversifying how you promote offers and services, you will reach a broader range of customers that are bound to increase brand awareness and could boost your profits. You can have a look at this website https://www.juliettekristine.com/blog/how-to-create-a-business-vision-board-that-actually-works to create a vision board for your company that actually work! Creating a marketing vision board allows you to target your niche clientele. Accurate marketing will amplify your business’s growth exponentially. Marketing will make your customers aware of what you are capable of. Creating a vision board for your business is an essential part that should not be overlooked, as it will provide your whole team with a clear vision for the future of the business.

Provide Management Training

You may have heard that industries all over the world are in the midst of The Great Resignation. Employees are abandoning the companies they work for due to low pay and a lack of opportunities. You can avoid this by providing management training for employees who want it. This approach comes with a range of benefits, as it keeps the company culture alive and allows employees to move seamlessly into senior positions that they have earned, rather than bringing in outsiders.

Focus On Improving Quality Control Efforts

One important improvement a business can make is to increase its focus on quality control. This involves setting and regularly reviewing standards for the products or services the business provides and implementing processes to ensure these standards are consistently met. Additionally, gathering customer feedback and making improvements based on their input can contribute to better quality control efforts. This website for mortgage lenders is one way that these businesses are improving quality control measures and ensuring that their bottom line is not affected by poor practices. Finally, businesses need to prioritize quality control in order to meet customer expectations and maintain a good reputation.

Keep Up With Trends

Trends can be tricky to deal with. Whilby the time the general population gets wind of them, they are already outdated in some online circles, and jumping on them too late can make your company look like it was never with it at all. This is especially true of internet memes, which social media has allowed to spread, and many companies will try to jump on the bandwagon. You need to find a way to strike while the iron is still blistering if you want to ensure your company gets noticed and not consider that old man in the corner mumbling last week’s trend.

Improved

A business will never evolve;e if you do not focus on where you can improve it. To achieve this, you must look at how your company operates and what it is missing right now. Once you establish this, you can enjoy plenty of improvements that will benefit everyone associated with your business and boost your industry reputation. Even systems you have in place now, like internet and tv bundles can be updated to take the business forward.

Three Things Small Business Owners Should Know

December 3, 2021 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

There are many things that a small business owner should know about. However, the five most important aspects to consider are the importance of customer service, finding new customers, what marketing channels will work for you and which ones won’t work at all, and lastly, being organized. In this blog post, we will be talking about these three crucial things that every small business owner needs to know in order to succeed!

Via Pexels

1) Create Customer Services

Sustainable customer service should not be thought about when you are just starting out because many other things need to take place for your company to survive. However, it is important to know the difference between good and bad customer service before your business starts taking off! Remember: If a customer has a positive experience with your product or service, they will most likely come back again at some point which means more money for you! On the flip side of this if someone has a negative experience with whatever it may be you offer, then there’s no way they will ever buy from you again. This goes without saying, but having sustainable customer services can truly make or break any small business owner, as we all know how important the customer is.

2) Use Different Marketing Strategies

Many different marketing strategies can be used in order for a small business to succeed. It is important to know which ones will work for you and your specific company and also, more importantly, which ones won’t work at all! For example, if you are selling a physical product, it would make sense to market yourself through online platforms such as Google AdWords or Facebook Ads. However, if you are selling a service, using offline methods such as flyers or flyers, or billboards may be better. The most important thing here is experimenting with different channels until you find what works best for you and your budget. Remember: Most people are using online platforms to market their business; therefore, it is important for your company to do the same if you want to get ahead of the competition!

3) Have An Organised Daily Schedule

When you are running your own small business, it is important to have an organized daily schedule that you can stick to. This way, you will get the most important tasks done and know what still needs to be completed by the end of the day. Not only does this help with productivity, but it can also help reduce stress levels as you will have a plan that is set in stone! Some things that should be included in your daily schedule are: checking emails, working on new projects, talking to customers/clients, networking with other businesses, etc. It’s also a good idea to take some time out for yourself every day so you can relax and recharge for the next. Having an organized daily routine is key to becoming more productive and successful as a small business owner. Use 5s consultants to help you get organized.

One must be well-versed in many topics before running a small company successfully. To be successful, your business has to focus on more than simply customer service while just getting off the ground. Though, before your company begins to take off, you need to grasp the difference between excellent and terrible customer service. A consumer who enjoys your product or service is more likely to return at some time in the future, which equals more money in your pocket! On the other hand, if a customer has a bad experience with your product or service, they are unlikely to return to you.

For a small company to be successful, it is essential to use various marketing methods. It’s critical to understand which strategies will work best for your organization and yourself, as well as which ones will not. It makes sense to use search sites like Google to promote tangible product marketing since the world has gone digitized.

The best way to keep you on track while operating a small company is to have an orderly daily plan. In this manner, you will accomplish the most critical duties and be aware of what remains to be done for the day. In addition, because you’ll know exactly what you’re doing, you’ll be more productive and less stressed. Notably, the marketplace ministry is where all small businesses should join to acquire information on the existing status of employee mental health and the workplace consequences of mental health disorders.

In conclusion, there are many things that a small business owner should know in order to be successful. The three important aspects we have talked about today are the importance of customer service, using different marketing strategies, and having an organized daily routine.

4) Ensure your business is cyber secured

Cybercrime is on the increase, whether it’s via bank accounts, tax returns, or social media. It can be perpetrated by anyone – even strangers halfway across the world. According to Symantec research, more than two-thirds of Australians fear identity theft, with nearly one in six having their details used illicitly in the past year. So people need to ensure they are taking steps to protect themselves online, including cyber security measures with companies like IT Ally, such as checking for suspicious online activity and updating passwords regularly which are only an entry level into keeping your profile safe.