Survey reveals real estate clients favour personal connection with industry professionals
16 July 09A personal connection with the Sales Consultant is essential in the real estate transaction process, according to new survey results released by Harcourts International. Over 30,000 people were surveyed at the beginning of May about their latest interaction with the real estate industry. The results indicated that 69.7% of respondents felt that having a pre-established personal connection with their Sales Consultant is the determining factor when deciding who to work with. In fact, the sense of a personal connection rated higher than factors previously considered by the industry as important, such as local market presence, fees and commissions, or market share and area knowledge.
Managing Director of Harcourts International, Mike Green, said that the survey results clearly indicate the importance consumers of today place on doing business with people rather than companies. The company may attract the client in the first place, but it is critical there is a strong human touch. “In a fast-paced world that is increasingly relying more on technology as a means of communication, and with more processes becoming automated, contact with a ‘real person’ is harder to come across. As a result, consumers are going to great lengths to seek out the opportunity to work with a person; someone they can connect and relate to, who lives, shops and eats where they do, and who cares about their life and family,” he said. According to Mr Green, Harcourts as an organisation has always placed client interaction as a priority among its service offerings to clients.
“The best result is guaranteed to be achieved when a Sales Consultant engages the client, by asking questions, empathising with them and keeping them informed and involved every step of the way,” Mr Green said. “Unfortunately, cutting edge technology is taking the place of a more personal approach and good old-fashioned service done one-on-one, and this is happening in most industries across the world today. While Harcourts leads the way in the development and utilisation of technology in its business systems and marketing, direct client contact is the only area in which Harcourts has not entirely moved with the times – we maintain contact with clients via regular telephone calls and face to face meetings.”
Mr Green said that the survey results have provided the organisation with a clear message as to what it’s clients value when buying or selling a home.
“It is imperative to find out what it is your clients look for and then providing it to them, rather than making estimated guesses. This is the reason we constantly ask questions, talk to our clients, and discover what it is they need from us and how we can best help them.”
Source: Harcourts 16th July 2009