For real estate professionals Gifford and Trish Dudley, a husband and wife team with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Highlands Ranch, Colo., success begins with building solid relationships. Never underestimating the value of a good relationship, the Dudleys note that the most important factor to consider when working with any business partner who supports their work, is the ability to build relationships. Gifford and Trish—along with their son Brandon, a member of their sales team—know the value of building good, solid relationships, as many of these invariably turn into repeat customers.
While the Denver metroplex and communities along the Rocky Mountain front range are experiencing a tight and limited inventory, the Dudleys still find themselves extremely busy, thanks to long-time clients.
“I think relatively low interest rates are driving the boom,” says Gifford. “A lot of folks who refinanced have stayed put, so there’s not a lot of inventory. It’s a high demand/low supply situation right now, and Colorado has been a desirable place for folks to call home. We have the seasons, the mountains, sports and nightlife, and folks who live here really enjoy it and tend to stay around awhile.”
In fact, Gifford notes that as much as 90 percent of the company’s clients are referrals and repeat buyers. When asked why Gifford, his wife and son have such great luck with repeat clients, the answer always comes back to building relationships.
“It’s about the quality of the relationships we build with our clients, from the first-timers to those who keep coming back and sending their friends,” says Gifford.
In addition to maintaining strong relationships with clients, the Dudleys point to their partnership with American Home Shield® (AHS) as a crucial piece of the puzzle that enables them to focus on their core business of buying and selling homes rather than having to worry about broken appliances. Striving to leave buyers with at least a one-year AHS home protection plan, Gifford says that developing a high level of trust and easing the minds of clients is as easy as signing them up for AHS protection.
“I think our clients realize the value of holding an AHS policy,” says Gifford, who was recognized last year as one of the region’s top AHS partners. “Not only does it put their mind at ease, it frees us from worrying about hearing from those clients that there’s a catastrophic problem. And it’s pretty inexpensive. There’s no doubt about it, it’s a relationship builder.”
The Dudleys typically write AHS protection into the provisions for all their sellers, and eight out of 10 times “the seller absolutely sees the value.”
Like many agents who use AHS to reinforce and sustain trustworthy client relationships, the Dudleys became enthusiastic about the home protection plan program because they are AHS clients themselves.
“After we got married, I saw the value of having an AHS policy, and we’ve had one for more than eight years,” Gifford concludes. “It’s so much easier to recommend because we use it ourselves.”
For more information, visit www.ahs.com/realestate.
