Each Friday, Robbie Briggs, CEO of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, writes about luxury, trends, business and more in the advertising pages of the Mansion section of The Wall Street Journal. Below is his letter of November 5, 2021.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE
I am always in awe of what our agents know — not just about homes and neighborhoods, but about business, design, culture, architecture, you name it. They are some of the smartest people I know.
I do know of a place where they get some of that knowledge: Inman, a trusted source for news about the real estate industry. Inman.com covers it all: marketing, tech, agent life, brokerage news, even design trends. (You should read it.)
A recent article struck me as extremely valuable, so I want to adapt it here. It was by Darlene Streit, a longtime broker in New Mexico with Sotheby’s International Realty Santa Fe. Her angle? Simple ways for agents to show their clients that they care, especially at the busiest times. I thought we could all use this advice — because life itself is so busy. Here are some of Darlene’s thoughts:
Tailor your communication style. Ask people how they would like to be communicated with, then go with that — text, e-mail, phone, in person, a mix.
Use check-ins. It’s easy to make assumptions that everything is fine, but the only way to know is to ask: How are you? What’s going well? What isn’t?
Set reminders to reach out. Try a system that e-mails you reminders, or a phone app that does the same. But, go on intuition, too: If you think about someone, pick up the phone and call them.
Think outside that box when it comes to opportunities to connect. Go out for lunch or dinner just to check in. Host a yearly party and invite people you don’t see often. Reach out to say, “I have no update.” That is still an update — and people will appreciate you staying in contact.
Good advice, yes? If you’ll pardon me, I’ve got some calls to make.
Robbie Briggs
CEO
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