In order to move forward, you need to be open to change. In the following interview, Drew May, President and Broker of Leading Edge Real Estate in Evans, Ga., discusses client engagement and what it takes to stay successful in this ever-changing market.
Region served: Greater Augusta, Ga.
Years in real estate: 18
Top tech tip: I’ve found that quality photos sell homes, so knowing how to properly use a camera and the right lens and flash has a tremendous impact on getting results. I take lots of pictures for both buyers and sellers and then use Google Picasa to share the link with my clients.
Winning strategy for staying organized: My smartphone. I have about 7,000 contacts in my phone, so if someone has a question or needs information, I can access it right away.
How do you keep your marketing strategy relevant?
By staying open to new ideas. Everything is changing, so it’s important to continuously seek to improve what you’re doing, and monitor what’s effective. You also have to be willing to adapt based on the results you’re getting.
In addition, we’ve been with The Real Estate Book for 18 years, since the beginning. We’re on the back page of the book, so we have a prime location in print marketing. The high-profile pages are a great branding tool, and we recently implemented the Local Smart Mobile® program, which integrates the mobile aspect and the advertising management system. It’s an integrative platform that offers an online portal to tie everything together. Thirty-five to 40 percent of our traffic is connected to mobile one way or another, so it’s important to be present through this channel.
What are some of the most difficult challenges buyers face today?
There’s so much information out there that as professionals, we need to help clients navigate through it. Real estate is a complex business and buyers—even those with experience—become overwhelmed and often find misinformation. As professionals, we need to always be educating people.
How are your agents engaging their clients?
Initially, we engage in traditional ways: phone, email, text and social media. However, after that, the engagement is through face-to-face meetings. If you’re just working online leads via phone and email, you never really develop a relationship. Get that face-to-face connection and build a relationship.
What’s your No. 1 piece of advice for surviving in this business?
Remain positive and focus on getting results. The big difference between succeeding or not is how you deal with losses and failures; everyone will fail, but it’s how you deal with it that will determine whether you survive or not.
For more information, visit http://www.leadingedgerealestate.com/.
