I’m going to share with you a simple but powerful phrase that will transform your real estate business and set you apart from your competitors. It’s simple, effective, rewarding, and empowering. 

Over the past 20+ years, I have sold over 3,500 homes. I have generated leads from pretty much every lead source imaginable, and my favorite kinds of leads are repeat clients and clients that refer me to new clients. 

I believe that the key to increasing repeat and referral business is by creating an outstanding experience that people are emotionally connected to. This emotional attachment is the fuel that compels clients to want to refer you when an opportunity presents itself. 

So how do you create a great customer experience? 

There are many layers to creating a great customer experience, such as the quality of communication, the systems you use, and the extra touches you add to delight the consumer. However, if you distill all the components of a great customer experience, the common denominator of customer experience is meeting or exceeding your customers’ expectations.

How important is it to meet or exceed expectations? 

If you’ve ever been married, you may have found that you didn’t entirely communicate your expectations to your spouse about each other’s roles, or what marriage should be like, before you actually got married. Maybe your spouse didn’t do so, either! That certainly was the case with me, and my wife and I ended up not meeting each other’s expectations of what it meant to be married for the first year or two. That was a rough year or two! The takeaway here is that if you don’t know the unspoken expectations of your client, you can’t meet or exceed those expectations. And that can lead to friction. And friction with a client does NOT generate repeat or referral business!

So, how do you solve this problem? It’s simple: set expectations with your clients. When you know your clients’ expectations, you can be confident you can meet or exceed them. 

How do you set their expectations? It’s simple: communicate to your clients what’s going to happen next. Set their expectations for the next steps in the transaction, the next step in the process, and their next step in their relationship with you. This amazing script isn’t even a script; it’s really just a phrase. Ready for it? Here’s how you should end all communication with your client: 

“Here’s what’s going to happen next.”

When you say this phrase and then tell them what’s going to happen next, you set the expectation for what they’re going to experience. Since you’re the one setting the expectation, you know that you can meet it, and you’ll probably exceed it. Your clients will have a great experience because what you said would happen actually does happen—or perhaps something even better occurs.

There are a number of benefits to this technique: 

1. You are always in control of your clients’ expectations. 
2. You can always meet or exceed those expectations because you’re the one that set them. 
3. Every time you deliver on or exceed the expectation you set, you grow your clients’ trust in you. 
4. The more your clients trust you, the more they will follow your lead, which empowers you to be the leader in the relationship. 
5. When your clients allow you to take the lead in the relationship, you can be the best fiduciary on their behalf. This is the most rewarding work we do as Realtors. 

So, when should you use this phrase? Use it anytime you’re on the phone with your clients or when you end a conversation. Just say, “Well, here’s what’s going to happen next. I’m going to send you some comparables, and then we’re going to make an offer.” Or when you’re at a listing presentation and they’ve just signed the contract, you can say, “Here’s what’s going to happen next. You’ll get a phone call from my assistant, who will walk you through how to get your home ready for sale.” Or it could be when you put your buyer under contract, “Here’s what’s going to happen next. I’m going to email a copy of your contract to your lender. I’ll copy you on that email so you know it’s done. I’ll also email you three different home inspectors to interview for your home inspection.”

By setting expectations and telling your clients, “Here’s what’s going to happen next,” you can control their expectations and meet or exceed them to deliver a great customer experience. Is there a lot more to a great customer experience? Absolutely. But setting and exceeding expectations is the single greatest thing you can do to create a more positive experience for your clients— one that they’re emotionally attached to – that makes them feel compelled to refer you in the future.

I hope this tip proves helpful for you and your real estate business. Good luck, and keep delighting your clients!