INSIDE Harcourts 19 THENEWBASICS EVERY AGENTNEEDS TOKNOW Sadhana INFEATURE I can’t recall a timewhenwe have seen a situation like the onewe find ourselves in now. Traditionally, it’s one or two areas of our industry that are feeling pressure at any given time, but right nowwe are seeing just about every area under enormous pressure at the same time. Our industry has changed, themarket has changed and howwe operate also needs to change. There is a lot of noise in themarket about getting ‘back to basics’, but what basics shouldwe be going back to? Modern agents need to be focusingmore on people skills and less on the transactional skills that have been prioritised in the past. During the good times of low interest rates and skyrocketing property prices, it’s easy to get caught up in transactional tasks, but doing that appears to have had a negative impact on our relationship building skills. To truly serve the needs of our clients we need to nowexercise empathy. Are they worried about mortgage stress? Put them in touchwith a trustedmortgage broker who can provide themwith options. We know that interest rates will change and if you can help clients navigate a short-termpainful period, they will still reap the benefits of their 30-year investment. Real estate has always been a relationship business and any support you provide a client nowwill be remembered and paid back in spades either in referrals or repeat business. Agents serious about future commercial success should be investing their time and energy into: • Gaining a real understanding of themotivations and pressures of their clients • Building empathy and listening skills • Honing negotiation skills • Helping clients plan for unexpected changes • Looking for new ‘out of the box’ solutions for themselves and their clients • Attending conferences and events to gain insights fromothers facing the same challenges Regardless of where themarket is in the next 2 years, an investment in yourself and relationship building can only serve to improve your reputation and truly build clients for life. Smiles CEO, Real Estate Industry Partners sadhana.smiles@reip.com.au
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI3ODI1