Maya Angelou believes it’s not what you say, it’s how you make people feel. And how you feel directly affects one’s experience.
People hire and work with people they know, like and trust. Connecting with people in meaningful and enjoyable ways creates positive experiences. These affirmed feelings of trust not only impact the agent and client relationship, but can be applied to the agent’s relationship with their brokerage, and brokerage with their overarching brand.
As the leader of a real estate brand, I believe that the value we offer is based on the experience we deliver to brokers, agents and consumers. We can’t think about what we do as a transaction. We must approach it as an experience.
As part of the service industry, real estate is all about the experience. According to the Brookings Institution, four out of five American workers in the private sector are currently employed in the service economy. That means there are a lot of people out there providing an experience to consumers in all types of service. How then do we stand out—not only in real estate, but across all service industries?
As someone who has experienced both the traditions of this industry, and the disruptions, with a keen eye on consumer experience, emerging technologies and digital transformation, I believe the answer lies in how we evolve and change.
Design thinking, which is solution oriented and centered around the user rather than the problem, is a great way to shape change. The Harvard Business Review explains that design thinking is about the person behind the problem and solution, and requires asking questions such as “Who will be using this product?” and “How will this solution impact the user?” This approach leads with empathy—putting yourself in your customers’ shoes.
For brokers and agents, that means creating greater awareness to drive leads, support conversion, reduce friction during the transaction and help create clients for life.
And for consumers, that means helping them have a better experience with us by leveraging new tools and technologies to increase efficiencies to move clients through the transaction more efficiently. At the same time, we are also helping them live better in their homes and get the most out of their most cherished purchase.
So, what’s the takeaway? I encourage you to be open to evolving how you conduct business. Take the time to listen to your key segments—through team meetings, customer reviews, employee surveys. Then deliver solutions with the end user in mind. As leaders, we must focus on enhancing how people experience our organizations. By leaning on our past experience, empathetically understanding current challenges and delivering customer-centric solutions for the future, we will always remain valuable, relevant and ultimately successful.
For more information, visit https://bhgrefranchise.com.
