This morning was the closing of one of my real estate properties that had been listed for nearly a year before it finally sold. At the time I listed the property, the market had been soft, but the competing active listings in the area were still priced relatively high, and the property owners insisted we start higher and slowly bring the price down to where I thought the home would sell. Needless to say, the home market had continued to drop, and it took a long time with many disappointments until we successfully closed the sale.
Everyone wants to be appreciated, and homeowners – both buyers and sellers are no exception. In real estate, repeat customers are our livelihood, not only because they provide us continued business through their loyalty, but we gain referrals and new customers through this very important avenue.
When I earned my real estate license and ordered my first 1000 business cards, I also ordered my first box of business stationery which included quality note cards that I could use for prospecting, sending invitations to special events of interest to customers I work with, and for writing thank you notes. After my trip to the bank to deposit my commission check this morning, I came home and wrote out my thank you notes.
Some of my colleagues send thank you notes by email, but I prefer to write them by hand. I think my customers and clients appreciate the effort when they know I have taken my personal time to write to them, and I always address the envelopes myself. I have a private supply of fun postage stamps – most of my clients know that I am a consummate animal lover, and my stamps are always about animals. I include only one business card in thank-you notes; I never want it to seem as if it is a sales pitch hidden by an insincere thank you.
So what do I write? Usually I get to know my customers quite well because of the time I spend with them during the selling process of a home, and I address them informally. I normally start my message with, ” It’s been my pleasure…” I always thank them for their kindness, and I express my gratitude for allowing me to help them. I never forget to tell them how they have helped me to succeed and with that, I praise them for their loyalty and patience. At the end of my note I ask them for referrals.
Just from my own experience, I have yet to ever find a person who did not appreciate receiving nice mail.
photo credit: Creations by Ro
