Tag Archives: realtors

–Demonstrate your commitment to your customers–An “E” for effort matters!!!!

Customer Service, Marketing / Communication, ,

A while back, when I was just starting my practice, I read an article about a survey done in Missouri (not my home state) concerning impressions that clients had of attorneys whom they had previously retained. The point of the article was that most respondents said that their attorneys were competent; they knew the law. What made most people decide whether an attorney was good or bad, at least for them, was the clients perception of the amount of effort that their attorney was devoting to their matter. Did the attorney specifically ask his secretary to “hold all calls” during our first meeting? Did the attorney make a phone call or phone calls while the client was in the office after a first meeting to demonstrate that this is an important enough matter for him or her to get started on, right away? Did the attorney send copies of ALL correspondence to the client, so the client was kept informed on progress on his or her matter?

We now have tools which speed up communication. it is easier to keep clients informed with emails and cell phones. But, have these means of communication really assisted us in communicating? The answer to that question depends on the professional. We can do a better job of communicating now, and show the effort that sets us above the ordinary, if we are not lazy or hesitant. People use our services because we are experts. The way we show this is by representing them imaginatively and consistently. It doesn’t help if we have a cell phone if we don’t return calls. What good are unresponded emails?

After more than 40 years of practicing law, I am just beginning to get it. Your clients and customers want to feel important. They want to feel cared for. You have the tools; you need to apply them and let your clients understand just how very talented you are and why they are so lucky to have you on their side.

Closing really means Final, Final!!! Things a realtor can do at a closing that REALLY matter

closing, , , ,

Recently, I conducted a real estate closing in Massachusetts that came together in less than two(2) weeks from Offer to Closing. After the closing was completed, but before I had disbursed funds to the Seller, my Buyer discovered that a closing cost credit that was clearly set for in the Purchase Agreement did not make it to the HUD-1 Settlement Statement for the transaction.

This was, of course, after the Lender had “thoroughly reviewed” the HUD-1 and give its approval. Fortunately for my Buyer, our office has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy of not remitting to the Seller until a final review of the Purchase Agreement is made and the items on the HUD-1 Settlement Statement compared to the terms of the Purchase Agreement. To be perfectly candid with my readers, this ZERO TOLERANCE policy was born from a colossal mistake one of my paralegals made in the past which led to our firm absorbing a $5,300 loss in a residential sales transaction.

In any event, I am sure that not all closing agents practice the paranoia we have made as POLICY at Topkins & Bevans. That being the case, I have the following suggestions for you realtors who attend closings on behalf of the Seller or the Buyer:

     1.  Bring the fully signed copy of the Purchase Agreement with you to the Closing. It is a sad commentary, but you may be the only entity which actually has that kind of document in your possession. I find it often the case that I will negotiate the Purchase Agreement, and add riders, but, in the end, I never get a signed copy of the final Agreement.

     2.  Compare the Signed Copy of the Purchase Agreement with the HUD-1 Settlement Statement. The Buyer and Seller are busily working with the closing agent on getting all the documents signed. The Seller wants his money; the Buyer wants to get out of the Closing as fast as possible to pick up the kids at Mom’s, or greet the mover, or do a thousand other last minute things. You are there with actually very little left to do. You have done most of your work already. But, you can do all parties a big favor by just going through things “one more time”.

     3. Bring any discrepancies you discover discreetly to the attention of the closing agent. Certainly, your goal here is NOT trying to “show-up” the closing agent. You just want things to be CORRECT. Believe me, he or she will appreciate your efforts. So should the affected party for whom you may have saved thousands of dollars. If the closing is a chance for you to continue marketing, this diligent review of the Purchase Agreement will only underscore your thorough approach to all situations and enhance your standing with everyone in the Closing room.

The next time you hear a colleague complain about the requirement of going to a closing and being bored out of his or her mind, suggest the review set forth herein. I am almost sure that such advice, after being adhered to a few times, will engender a “thank you” from the person you suggested it to. Money errors at the Closing are hard to fix, and often result in expense of time and money, even if they can be rectified. You can be a vehicle for preventing these errors, and I urge you to be PRO-ACTIVE in this endeavor.