5 Tips for Responding to Client Comments
Hey Sprouters! I was looking over some stats on Realtor interactions on social media and found one big area that too many Realtors slack on, Being Social! This statement is a bit shocking, right? Think about this: Would you buy a house from someone who you felt was rude and unprofessional? Would you trust someone to care about YOUR interest when they don’t have the decency to respond? Of course not!
Responding to comments on your social media posts may seem trivial. To many Realtors, the only comment that they deem ‘worthy’ of a response are those that ask directly about a property as a potential client. Please, PLEASE, don’t be this Realtor. It just sends the wrong message, and gives the entire platform a rough outlook.
Here are 5 tips that you should use when responding to comments on social media:
1. Respect
This should go without saying, but too many times I see comments being met with short, indifferent responses that show no consideration for a curious viewer. Other times, a comment will only be met with the same mass-production response. Try to respond using the customers own wording. This shows that you are actually reading/listening to what they are saying. But most importantly, show respect at all times. Every comment counts. Also, please don’t give the tired line of ‘will direct message you ASAP.”
2. Direct to Useful Links
Some comments will undoubtedly be general questions about real estate, rather than specific questions about your brand or a certain property. Instead of responding to this comment as a Realtor who is teamed with a company, respond to them as a ‘helper’ in the real estate market.
In other words, a customer asking about down payment criteria can be redirected to specific state guidelines pertaining to lending options. It’s okay to throw your ‘call to action’ in this response, but the fact that you are showing the diligence to provide a link to the information they are seeking shows that you have a genuine desire to help them, rather than give them lip service to get their business.
3. Combat Negativity with Positivity
“You get more flies with honey…”
So the saying goes, right? You can’t please everyone, and you shouldn’t try to in this business, but rest assured social media is filled with comment readers who want you to slip up. Don’t give them a reason to put your brand on blast for the entire community to see.
If someone has negative things to say about you or your brand, BITE YOUR TONGUE. Handle the comment with a professional tone, and offer to make the mistake right (even if there wasn’t a mistake in your eyes). This will stand out for all of the right reasons. You may never get this customer again, but you may very well attract other clients who see how professional you are in the hardest of situations. You will certainly keep the integrity that your brand needs.
Bonus Tip: As tempting as it might be, Do NOT delete negative comments. It will only encourage another post and probably an angrier one. It’s better to show customers how you handle negative feedback than to pretend it never exists.
4. Always Respond in a Timely Manner
This goes hand in hand with Respect. Imagine someone presents a question about your property post, and you don’t respond for a week. First of all, that isn’t the professional manner that we are preaching here. Second of all, that client has likely moved on to another property post, where they are certain to have been engaged with in the time that it took you to respond!
Easy concept here that is often forgotten. Respond within 48 hours of a comment. This will potentially work towards a sale with a serious inquiry, and it may present an answer to a question than dozens of other users might have had.
5. Don’t Mention other Sales, only other Properties
Keep your past sales private, and your past customer information secure. Just the mention of ‘oh yeah, I sold the property at 732 Spooner Street for $xxx,xxx 3 months ago…’ could get you in some trouble. While that information may be public record to an extent, putting that sort of information on social media is unnecessary and lacks merit.
Recommending other properties that you currently have is certainly acceptable. Maybe a comment will mention budget, desires in a neighborhood, etc. In this case, maybe the post that they are commenting on doesn’t fit the mold. Send them another property link in the comment. If not this client, maybe another?
Keep all past sales out of your comments. No questions asked!
Responding to member comments is not only a required aspect to your social media handling, but it is also lucrative to your overall brand. Showing respect and building professional relationships can pay dividends in the long term. Remember that real people are behind the screen and need to be treated as if they were standing in your office or on the phone and you can turn those comments into clients.
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