THE POWER OF REAL CONNECTION IN REAL ESTATE

WELCOME 

When AI Is Not Enough

When has an artificial substitution ever been better than the real thing? Fake butter? Yuck. Fake sugar? No, ma’am. And do not even start me on that God-awful fake chocolate known as carob that was the craze for a hot minute when I was a little girl in the 1970s.

People like—no, wait—people want what’s real. There are plenty of times when it’s just fine to use AI (sometimes it’s even better when you know how to leverage it), but when it comes to people, they don’t want to talk to a human-like voice prompt. They want to connect with a real person, with real thoughts and real feelings… and real childhood trauma around that one time their mom made those terrible carob-chip cookies for the class birthday party.

That’s why today we’re going to chat about the power of making those real connections in real estate.

THE REALITY OF REAL ESTATE

No Screaming Required

How many times have we called up our credit card companies or our cable providers or our pharmacies, only to find ourselves hollering, “Representative! Representative!” at that annoying IVR? Oh, my stars and stripes, I get so frustrated! (Also, who else didn’t know that the computer doesn’t recognize the word “Representative!”—or any of the four-letter words I’ve used—because they’re only programmed to recognize the word “Agent?”)

As frustrating as that feels for all of us, imagine how our potential clients feel when they get a voice prompt or they’re shuttled straight to voicemail. That is why I am just tickled to be partnered with SignMore, because they understand the power of real connection in real estate, and they know it all starts with talking to a real human being, not just a computer simulation. They know that connections are the core to real estate success and that the way we all connect is crucial.

With SignMore, your clients will always speak to a live person when they call, no matter when they choose to reach out, whether you’re at your baby’s first cello recital or your best friend’s wedding. We pride ourselves on having established our brands by providing exceptional service, so it makes sense to seamlessly provide that service via phone, too. I mean, that is how you build loyalty, referrals, and repeat business, my friends. So, I could not be more excited to share a promo with y’all to get 30% off your first 3 months on SignMore’s Best Value Plan.

Just visit signmore.com/glennda

@glenndabaker

Let’s get back to the basics, ladies and gentlemen… Pick up the phone call the people that you know! The fastest way to get business is wo... See more

_{This post is sponsored by SignMore, but as always, the thoughts and opinions are all mine.}

ONCE UPON A TIME WITH GLENNDA

This Is How We Do It

Today’s story is no story at all, it’s just flat-out what I do to create and tend real relationships with past, present, and future clients, because sometimes you just need the facts.

One of the biggest questions I get when I meet y’all in person is, “Glennda, I’m brand new. How do I build a real relationship with a client, one that’s iron-clad and long-lasting?” The best way to build a relationship is to set the expectations of what your buyers and sellers can expect and then to go above and beyond in meeting those expectations.

Now, this is great advice (I know, ‘cause I just gave it) but it only works once someone brings you on as their agent. How are y’all going to exceed an expectation if none have been established?

Well, the first thing each of you can do is to send postcards for every home that you either just listed or sold. You start to establish that credibility when people see your name associated with results in their area. Repetition is key here, as it often takes people six to eight contacts for information to stick. (Remember, when I was starting out and I didn’t have sales, I sent postcards about sales the brokerage made.)

Now, even though I am Glennda Baker, only good things happen to me, and I have scads of followers and clients, that doesn’t mean I’m exempt from the basics. Every single day I call twenty-five people, rain or shine, good hair day or bad. I divide them up by calling ten people I know, ten people I don’t know, and five that I would like to know. And when I connect with them, I am present, and not just going through the motions. This is a people business and I wouldn’t be in it if I didn’t love connecting with them.

I’m a little bit old fashioned when it comes to tracking my contacts and I often use an Excel spreadsheet. Whatever people tell me, I write it down so I have that info for later use. (It’s not cheating; there’s only so much info my brain will hold!) Maybe my client has a new man or a new dog or, sometimes, an entirely new face, so I like to have all that information for reference. If y’all want to make someone feel special, be able to remember what they tell you, and be genuinely interested in how their lives are progressing. You don’t connect by broadcasting about yourself—you connect by being curious and invested in others’ lives.

In any given month, I do no fewer than forty pop-bys, because nothing solidifies a relationship better than getting face to face for a minute. When I drive by a house I sold, I will take a picture of it, and I make sure to compliment my buyer on whatever’s new, whether it’s a springtime porch full of pansies or a cute new fall wreath. I like to bring up a memory of when we were looking at that house, too, before they bought it, such as, “Oh, my stars, do you remember that crazy old pine tree? The yard is so much sunnier without it!”

Every sixty days, I contact everyone in my entire sphere. Maybe it’s a call, maybe a text, or maybe a video text, again, on a good hair day. My friend Josh Flagg told me about how at the beginning of the pandemic, he sent everyone a box of booze-filled chocolates with a note saying how in trying times, at least we could count on chocolate and alcohol, and he could not believe how many deals came from that contact. (Good thing he didn’t send carob.)

Of course, I maintain an active social media presence, as that’s important, too. I post consistently, so even those who don’t know me know that they can count on me to always bring something fresh to the table. But again, I don’t just broadcast—I interact, and I go to everyone else’s sites, too, because I want to know what they’re up to.

I geographically farm my own areas, so I’m consistently where I want to do business, and people have seen me there for almost thirty years. I also host open houses, because nothing makes me happier than meeting new people in person and getting the chance to establish a real connection with them.

Now, I’m giving y’all some homework this week. Take a look at the quality of your connections and figure out how you can strengthen them with any of the above prompts. Maybe it’s a call. Maybe it’s a text. Maybe it’s a sincere comment on Junior’s winning touchdown at the game Friday night. Maybe you start doing your Hot Mom Walks in the neighborhood where you wished you sold homes. But whatever you choose to do, make sure it’s real, because our business is not about a return on investment so much as it is a return on a relationship.

(By the way, it doesn’t get more real than this.)

@glenndabaker

I’ve been told I’m intense… The intensity is not reserved only for business. I’m serious about tennis! #GlenndaBaker #GetToKnowGlennda #Te... See more

GLENNDA’S GURUS

There’s No Business Like Snow Business

Oh, my stars, did I have the best conversation with Marki Lemons-Ryhal this week. I can barely write this intro, I’m too excited to get into the content!

Marki is a 5th generation entrepreneur and she has been self-employed since the tender age of ten years old when she sold snow cones in front of her family’s restaurant. Now she is a real estate expert, a best selling author, a road warrior, and the subject of many articles in national publications because of her prowess. She has 25 years of marketing experience and has taught more than 250,000 real estate agents how to earn up to a 2,682% return (not a typo!) on their marketing dollars. Believe me, you want to hear what she has to say.

So, enough of me and more of Marki!

GLENNDAISM

Y’all Heard It Here First