In my last column, I described the absurdly simple system to keep track of prospects.  

Now, let’s discuss how to keep your prospects engaged.

By the way, if you haven’t set up the system yet, it takes all of 47 seconds, so go ahead and do it now. I’ll wait.

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Welcome back!

Now that you’ve got a list of prospects and know how to sort and prioritize them and record your interactions, what next?

You’ll want to maintain a regular dialogue with each prospect without coming across as a salesy slickster. Right?

Yes! So first things first. Set up ALL your prospects on a web portal or automatic notification system.

 

Set up a web portal or automatic notification system

 

You’ve already done this? Okay, but you’re probably doing it wrong. Here’s why: 

1. You’re only sending active listings. So, your prospects have no idea about the pending and sold properties. Think about it. Why NOT give them ALL the information? This way, they’ll be better informed and get a feel for the market. How can this be a bad thing? 

2. You’re only sending the information to buyer prospects. Why not sellers, too? Yes, I have EVERY one of my sellers (and seller prospects) set up on a web portal, so they can see exactly what is happening within their geographical area and price range, including new listings, price adjustments, pending and firm sales, terminations, expiries, everything!

 

Use the system as a foundation for communication

 

The above system is the foundation for further communication with your clients. These emails go out automatically, so they’ll hear from “you” regularly. Make sure you get copied on every email so that you can be on the watch for good’uns.

Don’t you have all your clients on this system? What a great “excuse” to contact them!

Simply explain the parameters and how it works. Nobody ever says no to receiving this valuable information.

Now that you’ve got everyone set up on a search, the search itself can be a catalyst for further engagement with your clients.

 

Find excuses to contact your clients

 

Here are a few examples for buyer clients: 

1. “This new listing seems to check most of your boxes. Please let me know your thoughts and if you’d like to book a showing. Thanks!” – This demonstrates that you’re watching out for them. You’re not just sitting around waiting for them to contact you.

2. “This one looks good but backs directly onto a busy roadway. It seems like the listing agent forgot to mention that!” – There’s absolutely nothing wrong with pointing out negatives on a property. This builds trust by demonstrating that you have their best interests at heart.

 

Aside from commenting on potential listings, here are a few other “excuses” for contacting your clients:

3. “Hey, I want to ensure you’re okay if I add you to my monthly newsletter list. It goes out on the first business day of every month and always includes some interesting content. So please let me know!” – Always ask for a response whenever appropriate.

4. “Hey, I’m noticing that the market is getting really tight in your price range, with unusually low inventory and strong demand. This means that there will be strong pressure on prices to rise over the next while. Please call me if you’d like to discuss this further.” – Demonstrates that you are a professional keeping a close eye on the market on their behalf.

5. “Hey, I just thought I should check in to ensure we’re still on track. Please let me know if there are any changes you’re considering after our initial discussion. Thanks!” – If they don’t respond to this, it’s probably time to text or call them.

 

 In the interest of saving space, I’ll leave it to you to think of more of your own “excuses” for contacting both buyer and seller prospects. You get the idea. Keep them engaged by demonstrating that you’re working and thinking about them.

Keep a list of ideas handy

 

It’s a great idea to keep a list of ideas handy so that when you’re reviewing your prospect list, you can just pick one.

 By the way, I usually send these messages by email. If you don’t get a response every time, don’t worry about it, so long as they respond sometimes. If not, there’s nothing wrong with sending a text, “Hey, I haven’t heard back, so I want to ensure you’re receiving my emails(?). Please let me know!”

Now here’s the essential part. You must review your prospect list regularly and keep it up-to-date. If you’re faltering on this, I suggest you re-read the habit-stacking column from last month.