12 Tips to Build and Nurture Your Client Database
2024 is sure to heat up, and you’re in the perfect position to get ahead of the curve with a solid game plan. To succeed, grow, and thrive, it’s crucial you make the most of your client database. With these 12 tips, you can build and maximize your client roster for a successful year ahead.
#1. Start with Social Media
Social media is a crucial tool for any business, especially for real estate. With social media, you can get more eyes on your business, reach previously untapped audiences, build brand awareness, position yourself as a trusted expert, and so much more. Think of social media as the gateway to building your client database by adding new prospects and leads.
Leverage a social media content calendar to keep your content creation and posting efforts on track, year-round. Remember, the algorithm favors regular, consistent posting and engagement. In turn, you can help increase the odds your posts get seen and shared more.
Watch Now! ➡️ "How I Generate Serious Leads from TikTok & Instagram"
#2. Don’t Neglect Your Website
Your real estate website is another crucial tool to leverage for building out your client database. It’s a powerful platform, allowing you to showcase your authority by spotlighting your brand, showing off your latest listings, highlighting your reviews, and sharing your thoughts and experiences.
The best ways to maximize your website?
- Leverage a real estate technology partner with customizable, high-converting IDX websites.
- Maintain your blog and update it regularly with relevant, insightful content.
- Write a killer bio for your 'About' page to build trust in your expertise from the start.
- Host client testimonials on your website for prospects to see what it’s like to work with you.
- Showcase your latest listings for prospects to learn more about.
As an added bonus, you can direct your social media followers to your website to expand and strengthen your online presence, helping support a growing database of clients.
#3. Get Out in the Community
Nothing builds better rapport with the market you serve than getting out in the community. It will also build your client database in a meaningful, organic way. Volunteer with local charities and organizations, and consider sponsoring them or their events. Go door-to-door to introduce yourself to the neighborhood. Host local events and be an active participant in neighborhood happenings.
The more eyes you get on your brand, both online and off, the more you can build your client database with ease.
#4. Partner with Local Businesses
Also known as co-marketing, partnering up with local businesses to promote one another is a great tactic to reach new audiences offline and more naturally. To leverage this tactic effectively, make sure to promote your businesses in a way that complements each of your offerings and also addresses consumer needs.
Ask a business owner or vendor you work or have rapport with to reshare your posts on social media, co-author a guest blog on your website, or co-host events with you. Then, do the same for them. By crossing over into one another’s audiences, you can reach new potential clients to build up your network.
#5. Activate Your Sphere of Influence
Your sphere of influence is made up of your connections, who can turn into clients (or send them your way) and later lead to giving you referrals. That is a lot of potential business, so it’s crucial to tap into this network. Stay in touch with your SOI through email campaigns specifically made for them, engaging with their social media posts, and by giving them a call or shooting them a text once in a while.
Lead in with wishing them a happy start to the year, and give them a little reminder of your recent wins and your readiness to help anyone with the home buying or selling process. Sometimes, a simple connection and nudge for what you’re up to can spark a lightbulb moment to get you in touch with your next client.
#6. Educate Potential Clients on the Process
You know you’re the expert on all things buying or selling. And for people who are gearing up to embark on what’s considered the transaction of a lifetime, they need to know you’re there to guide them every step of the way.
Position yourself as a knowledgeable, committed real estate expert by walking your prospective clients through every part of the buying or selling process. Provide them with educational content, designated meetings, and phone calls to answer any and all questions. By having an open door, and showing you know your stuff, you can nudge even the most tentative of prospects over the fence into a full-on client.
#7. Automate Your Follow-Up Process
With so many tasks, meetings, and responsibilities that pile up, day after day, it can be tough to feel like you have enough time to manage your client database. So, wherever possible, leverage the power of automation. When it comes to your follow-up process, tap into the power of your CRM to take advantage of automated email responses and nurture campaigns, text message auto-responders, and reminders to give clients and prospects a call.
This will take the guesswork out of the who, how, and when to nurture your client database, freeing up your time and mental capacity to focus on forging more meaningful connections.
#8. Send Out a Monthly Newsletter
Use the space offered by a monthly, scheduled newsletter to keep prospects and clients alike up to speed with what’s happening in your business and their local market. A monthly newsletter allows you to showcase your expertise and activities so you can educate prospects and clients.
It also provides a way for your database to reach out to you directly by email response or your contact information in the newsletter, keeping you top of mind no matter where they are in their buying or selling journey.
#9. Stay in Touch with Past Clients
Nurturing your relationships with past clients, no matter how settled into their homes they are, is crucial to your business. Stay top of mind by creating a unique email nurture campaign for past clients, checking in with them on a consistent, but not too frequent, basis, and sending them annual postcards or small gifts on key dates.
They could always come back when they are ready to sell or buy again, and they can provide invaluable referrals. Because you’re staying in their orbit, they’ll know to get in touch with you, helping to build out your client database even more.
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#10. Ask for Reviews
When you get to the closing table and seal the deal successfully, you’re in the optimal window to ask your clients for reviews. Ask them what it was like working with you, and get their permission to share it far and wide, publishing it on your Google Business Profile, website, and social media profiles.
Having a legitimate perspective from real-life clients’ experiences builds your credibility, so prospects searching for the perfect agent in your area know what it’s like to partner with you.
#11. Reward Your Referrals
When previous clients provide you with referrals, why not show them appreciation back? You can send a small gift and nice handwritten note, or even consider hosting events for clients who have provided referrals. This is a great way to nurture existing clients and give them a reward so they can keep sending new clientele your way.
#12. Never Stop Learning
Above all else, you can build, nurture, and strengthen the power of your client database by continuing to learn. From sales tactics to marketing strategies, negotiation tools to CRM technology, investing in your hard and soft skills will take you the extra mile. Doing so will keep you growing, so you’re able to offer a stellar customer experience and engage new approaches to building your database.