8 Ways We're Growing our Real Estate Business

We recently added a section to our blog focused on real estate careers. In this article, we cover 8 ways our team is growing for the long term. We feel very fortunate to know our business is growing at a healthy pace, even though inventory is low and sales in the larger market are decreasing. 

This says a lot about our agents - Chris, Shelley, and Tammy - who are all receiving awesome client feedback. Their consistent focus on customer service has attracted a lot of loyal fans who are happily referring their friends and family to our team. 

Our growing client base has created an opportunity for a new agent to join us in 2017. The next agent to join us will have the same client focus as Chris, Shelley and Tammy. Our next agent will also embrace our business model, which we've outlined below. 

The Mad City Dream Homes Business Model

#1: Have a "Service First" Mindset

We're big believers in "service first". Our over-riding philosophy is to be helpful to others without expecting anything in return. As Jordan Harbinger says in this podcast, "leave everyone and everything better off than when you found them". Good things have a way of coming back to you when you're serving others. 

#2: Offer Great Online Content

The service first mindset extends to our online presence, too. Our website offers buying and selling tips, local community info, market reports, and other helpful stuff. We give all of this content away without asking for anything in return. This helps our audience get to know us and learn to trust us at their own pace. 

When website users do reach out to us, many have already decided they want to hire us as their agents. Others have questions or challenges they need to address before they can move forward. We gladly give these folks the time and attention they need as they work through their challenges.

#3: Nurture Relationships

This approach applies to any potential client we meet. We uncover the challenges each person is facing, and then we stay in touch and offer solutions that help them move forward. Sometimes this dialogue takes place over a period of weeks or months or even years. That's perfectly fine. We're very intentional about nurturing (not pressuring) each new relationship. It's a proven way to establish rapport and earn trust. 

#4: Focus on Customer Service

Once someone becomes our client our most important job is to provide excellent customer service. We do so by embracing these 12 customer service values and by doing everything we can to help our clients achieve their goals. Sometimes this means we call on other team members to help out in a time of need. The bottom line is we do what it takes to support our clients throughout their journey of buying or selling a home. 

#5: Stay in Touch with Clients

We continue to stay in touch with our clients after they buy or sell. The team provides monthly newsletters, e-newsletters, and quarterly client appreciation events. Individually, we stay in touch through social media, coffees, lunches, personal notes, and "pop-bys". Our focus is on relationships, not business. Our clients already know we provide great service, so there's no need to self-promote or ask for referrals. It's more about being a good neighbor. Being a good neighbor has its own rewards, plus it has the side benefit of being good for business, too. 

#6: Prospect from our "Sweet Spot"

Every team member has a plan for growing their business. This begins with each agent growing and nurturing their own database of friends, family members, and former clients. Beyond this the plan is customizable, depending a lot on the agent's strengths, interests and personality traits. Our goal is to get each agent working in their "sweet spot". In other words, working on the prospecting activities that are authentic to their personality. We're all at our best when our individual business plans are based on our own unique strengths. 

#7: Invest in Training

We're big on personal growth and development. The team participates in an ongoing coaching program as well as at least one real estate training program each year. A couple of us are avid listeners of podcasts and audio books. We freely share what we learn when it will benefit the rest of the team. Our focus on learning helps us continually grow our business regardless of how the real estate market performs from year-to-year.

#8: Hire Great People

Over the years we've learned the number one thing we can do to ensure a successful future is to hire great people. Everyone on the team benefits when we make a great hire. When we hire the right person, the team's energy and creativity increases, our sense of teamwork is enhanced, and each agent on the team actually becomes more productive. 

For more real estate career information, check out our team's vision and these 10 reasons why agents choose to work with us.