Full Disclosure: One Simple Phone Call that Will Boost Your Referrals AND Protect Your Clients From Fraud

Written by Columnist:
Samuel Doncaster

 

This article is designed to help you protect your clients from fraud. Protecting your clients in the way I recommend will also get you more referrals. It will also likely help you generate positive reviews and avoid risk associated with disclosure claims. And it’s a simple, easy, and fun thing to do. You just need to pick up the phone.

Check in on your clients after close to show you care about them, offer service after the sale, and generate referrals for yourself. You’ll do this with a seven-day, thirty-day, six-month cadence. This will generate referrals in at least three ways. First, your prior clients will be more likely to refer you. Calling them on a consistent basis will generate top-of-mind awareness. And giving even more service will make them want to refer you. The quality and consistency this system creates for you will increase the rate at which existing clients refer you. Second, as you talk to your clients about their problems and concerns, you’ll make additional referrals to your own referral partners. The more referrals you give, the more you’ll get. Finally, if you remain consistent, you’ll be there to help the client when he buys his next house.

This article will focus on the seven-day call, and the following months’ articles will complete the sequence. Every time a transaction closes, block time in your calendar to call the client around seven days after the sale closes. Customize the exact wording to your personality and brand, but the script for the seven-day check in goes something like this:

Hi, this is ____ calling about your recent sale. Based on my experience in real estate sales, many of my best clients are thinking about similar opportunities seven days post-closing, and I’ve developed some expertise to help them. Do you have about ten minutes to talk? Great!

Then walk them through the following questions:

  1. Did you get all the utilities transferred? Including cable, electric, water, gas, and trash service? [If everything is fine, you can move on. If there’s an issue, it’s relatively easy to help. Pull the SPDS to see who the prior provider was, ask the client what the problem is, and try to help them troubleshoot it. You should also have a referral handy that can help people with this.]
  2. Have you moved in yet? [Talk about why or why not. Do they need a contractor or tradesman to complete improvements before they move? Perhaps a referral to a moving company.]
  3. Have you gotten unpacked yet? [If the buyer is having trouble getting to unpacking, provide a referral. If nothing else, refer them to a good domestic services agency who can send a temp to help.]
  4. Have you gotten the locks changed yet? [If they have great. If not, check the home warranty. Many of them include a lock change, so offer to help them get that booked. It only takes a few minutes for you to make the call with the client, and the client will feel like they got great service. Service after the sale leads to referrals.]
  5. Are all the appliances working as expected? [Folks often notice problems with the house early after close and promptly upon moving in. If an appliance isn’t working, you can refer a repairman or you can help them file a home warranty claim. You an also check whether the condition was disclosed on the SPDS and refer your client to a non-disclosure lawyer if needed.]
  6. Have you gotten your mail forwarded? [As a salesperson, the form to forward mail is a great thing to keep readily accessible. You can mail or email them a copy. And if you really want the client to associate you with white glove service, offer to fill out everything but the final signature for them, and drop it by the house. It gets you face time with a happy client. And it’s such a strong service that it boosts your referral chance.]
  7. Are you facing any surprises regarding the house? [Go into detail on what the surprise is. Offer the client a referral who can help them solve the problem. Compare the surprise to the SPDS. If the problem is apparent within the first seven days, it generally should have been disclosed. And if it’s not in the SPDS, you should help the client set up a consult with a good non-disclosure lawyer, ideally someone who focuses principally on real estate fraud.]

If you consistently do this seven days after each close, you’ll make more money. You’ll wow your clients and get more referrals by caring enough about them to ask them these questions. And if you combine this with 30-day and six-month check-ins, you’ll constantly remain top of mind and have the best possible chance to win repeat business and referrals.

Samuel Doncaster is the owner and founder of Fraud Fighters Law Firm in Phoenix, Arizona. He regularly handles SPDS Fraud and Real Estate Fraud cases. You can contact the firm at 480-666-4054 to help one of your clients set up a strategy session if they’ve been cheated in a real estate deal.