6 WAYS TO GET YOUR Lauren, whose mother and grandmother were both real

SMALL YARD? BIG STATEMENT

6 Ways to Get Your Client to Trust You

The word “REALTOR ® ” can leave a sour taste in some people’s mouths. Many of today’s home buyers and sellers grew up during the 2009 recession. They are wary of anything or anyone who comes off as too salesy, and they want to work with individuals who they can trust. But how do you prove to someone you’ve likely never met that you can be trusted?

1Put Testimonials or Case Studies on Your Website

Testimonials and case studies are social proof that you have both the experience and the skills to do the job your clients are hiring you for. People often leave testimonials when they are either incredibly disappointed or extremely happy with the service they were provided, so they’re a good indication to prospective clients of the treatment they’ll receive.

Case studies, which you can post on your blog or website, have much of the same effect, but even more than testimonials, case studies demonstrate your real estate and finance expertise because they explain how you achieved a specific set of results.

2Be Responsive and Accessible

Can your clients reach you easily? That doesn’t mean you need to be available 24/7, but you should respond to your clients within a few hours of receiving their message. When agents don’t respond to their clients’ calls or emails for days on end or fail to provide them with a direct line of contact, their clients’ experience can quickly become frustrating.

Agents are busy but so are their clients. If you constantly show up late to or reschedule meetings, your clients won’t feel like their time is respected or their business is valued. Make sure you set a realistic schedule for yourself rather than spreading yourself too thin.

3Be Honest and Transparent

Sometimes you don’t have the answer to a client’s question. Be honest about your strengths, weaknesses, and the limits of your knowledge. A good response might be, “I don’t know, but I can find out.” Be transparent with your clients, and they’ll respect you for it. You should always act in their best interest. When something goes wrong, own up to your mistakes. Don’t hide bad news from your clients. Be upfront and responsive.

4Go the Extra Mile

If you do the bare minimum, that’s what your clients will remember. Their experience won’t be memorable, and they won’t gush about you in online testimonials or in real life to people they know who could use your services. It’s that simple.

5Put Yourself in Your Client’s Shoes

Clients understand that you need to earn money, but that doesn’t mean they want to feel like they’re just a dollar sign to you. Be empathetic to your client’s concerns, even if you’ve heard it all before. Your clients should know that you are there for them.

6Be Consistent

Being responsive, friendly, and knowledgeable shouldn’t be an act. If you “turn on” your personality for clients and then suddenly become a different person when they leave the room, it’s likely that the cracks in your mask will eventually become apparent.

But “faking it till you make it” is so common it’s become a cliché. When we are starting out, we don’t always have the systems or resources in place to create a smooth client journey, from onboarding to closing, so instead we constantly try to reinvent the wheel. Give yourself time to pause, slow down, and reevaluate your workflow. Creating systems creates consistency, and those systems can and should be constantly updated.

Developing trust between you and your clients will take time, but doing these things can give you a running start.

LAUREN MITRICK WOOD

Top Agent Lauren Mitrick Wood— of Compass in Chicago—is a third generation Realtor who is sincerely dedicated to helping her many grateful clients with what is often the largest purchase or sale they will ever make. As lead of the Olive Well team (their tagline is “Where All Live Well”), Lauren prides herself on her exceptional, concierge-style customer service she provides, something her clients unanimously appreciate. This service has translated into a thriving business that is based almost entirely upon referrals, a significant achievement in the highly competitive Windy City market.

Lauren, whose mother and grandmother were both real estate agents (her parents are both members of the Olive Well team, as well as her husband Charlie and five others), began her real estate career at the young age of eighteen leasing residential units in downtown Chicago before transitioning to sales. Deeply knowledgeable about her industry, and with a commitment to placing her clients’ needs front and center, Lauren quickly achieved success in the industry, and was recognized in 2010 by both Forbes Magazine and the National Association of Realtors as one of the “30 under 30” young professionals nationwide. Additionally, she has been named by Chicago Agent Magazine as one of their “Who’s Who in Chicago Real Estate” in 2008, 2010, and 2018. Once ready, a mix of traditional and cutting-edge strategies are utilized to ensure that as many potential buyers and other agents are aware of the property. Among these strategies are creative broker open houses, occasional print ads, and deft utilization of the internet and social media. The result is almost always a fast sale, and for top dollar.

When she’s not working, Lauren enjoys nothing more than spending time with her husband Charlie and their dog Cooper. She and Charlie are also avid travelers, visiting five countries in 2019 alone. She is also Deeply committed to the real estate industry. Lauren has given back by sitting on the Board of Directors of both the Chicago Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.

Lauren’s goals for the future include growing her business, adding new team members to support that growth, and continuing to refine and enhance the creative ways the Olive Well team serves and informs their clients.

When asked what advice she might have for newer agents, Lauren – who was seriously affected by the infamous market crash of the previous decade, but recovered through sheer hard work – takes a thoughtful pause before replying. “This business can be very difficult and tumultuous, but if you persevere, it can be really rewarding, exciting and fruitful.”

“I think it’s because of the mindset with which I approach my business,” says Lauren, when asked how she manages to inspire such impressive levels of client confidence and loyalty. “I pride myself on giving very good service.” Lauren’s sincere concern for the wellbeing of her buyers and sellers creates lasting friendships with them. “In my mind,” she explains, “my paycheck always comes last.”

There are many factors that contribute to Lauren’s impressive success in the real estate industry. Chief among them is her marketing prowess. A passionate fan of design, Lauren makes certain that every listing is shown in its best light, beginning with styling and professional photography.

For more about Lauren Mitrick Wood,

please call 773.480.5078,