How do you Prefer to Communicate?
Open, honest and direct communication is a huge deal in a real estate transaction; whether it be listing a home for sale, working with a buyer to purchase or a client relocating to the area. If communication breaks down or my clients and I are not on the same page, then trust withers and it can get both emotional and uncomfortable.
That is why as an Austin Realtor, one of the first questions that I ask when meeting with potential clients is how do you prefer to be communicated with and how frequently? It’s a simple question but also very important in the grand scheme of things. In the age of email, text messaging, Twitter, Facebook, Skype (etc..) there are any number of ways to disseminate information.
Personally, I am a text and email guy with a splash of phone when needed. That’s is what typically works for me. However, I have worked with clients who were the complete opposite. They had email addresses but checked infrequently. They owned cell phones but the next time they sent a text message would be the first. So, I adapted and that is frequently the case. In order to make the transaction work for all parties involves communication must be open, frequent and comfortable.
I can count on one hand the number of experiences with clients (and I don’t need all 5 fingers) that ended up sour. And I believe the root issue in all cases was lack of trust established. Lack of trust caused by poor communication or not being on the same page from day one.  I heard it said once that sometimes you have to first risk the relationship in order to make it work. To me, that means I often have to be up front and honest with clients from the get-go. I have to tell them what they need to hear, not necessarily what they want to hear. I know I have lost out on listings as a result but I am at peace with that.
I don’t always look at things through rose color glasses but in the end I know that my clients respect me for it. You can read their experiences here.
Effective communication is a cornerstone of every successful real estate transaction.
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