There is an age old saying that goes "It's not what you know, it is who you know that can help you grow". This saying could never be more right for an industry than in real estate. There are so many reasons that this is true in the real estate industry with a gatekeeper working at every step of the transaction. Far too often people working in real estate related industries think they are going to out study or work harder than their competitors and that is how they will win. While knowing your stuff and working hard are both important they are not all the pieces to the puzzle by any means.
Here are 10 examples of how "Who you know" will help.
When working on any deal it is far easier to communicate with another professional that you know on a personal level because there is a pre-existing level of trust involved.
You can get inside information on a new listing or buyer coming up.
You will get more referrals based on knowing others and as you know referral-based business is usually the smoothest to deal with.
You may be able to get your clients an advantage in a multiple offer deal based on your track record.
You will get invited to more events that are industry related making networking easier.
You will know more people in other facets of the industry ready to help. Per instance as an agent needing a quick inspection. Knowing a good home inspector who you work with you will probably be able to get a quick appointment to make a deal work.
When a client needs a plumber you can be the connector.
Town Hall often takes better care of the people that they know, like, and trust.
If you get sick you have other people who will cover for you without charging you big fees or stealing your clients.
Your ability to market goes up through social sharing on platforms such as Facebook or Instagram organically which means you spend less to spread your message further than others.
Meeting people is actually very easy in the modern day with tools like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and many others. The problem is most people are using these platforms wrong and not taking full advantage of the tools. One thing to think about when using them is how to grow your online sphere of influence. These platforms allow us to investigate the who's who of any industry. Many people get nervous to send out friend requests or followings based on not knowing the person.
The great part of all these tools is that people are open to talking. Instead of being the fly on the wall watching what goes on, learn to engage. When friending a new person you do not know, send along a message explaining who you are and be willing to help them in any way you can. Once you are connected with these new people, start engaging with their posts. Engagement means far more than just hitting the like button it means answering the questions they write in the post. It can mean saying congratulations to a connection who finds success. It also can mean sending them some information that you found that you think they could benefit from.
Like all things in life the best way to receive anything is to give more than you can imagine. Creating relationships with others is much easier when you drop your guard and offer them the full you. Be ok with who you are and be willing and ready to help anyone in your sphere and suddenly you will find that everyone is now helping you as well. In the business of real estate, it is crucial to your growth to always be meeting new people. Make sure to get into these platforms and start being a contributor and stop sitting back waiting for engagement.
With this strategy you are going to grow your business faster than you can imagine. Remember it is not only about meeting new clients it is also about meeting industry professionals. With that said it is time to make sure from here forward to put yourself out there and be involved. The best place to start is by joining our group “Real Facts on Real Estate” and start posting and engaging with our online community. If you are already a member, great now all you need to do is start contributing your knowledge to the group.