Sometimes clients are just enigmas, ..riddled with facts.

A few days ago, I received an email from a client of mine. I called him to discuss a short sale offer that had recently received an approval for an offer that was submitted almost three months earlier. We were just waiting for the documentation. Our discussion sort of drifted away from our deal-in-waiting and we started talking about what other websites he used to cross reference real estate information. These were the ones he mentioned in order:

 I asked him which site he preferred to use, he told me he actually enjoyed Redfin’s interface, he also mentioned that he visited that site quite often because Redfin did not require him to sign in to view information on the site unlike Zip’s platform. I thought that was interesting. I wondered how many clients were like him. He went on to say that he had seen my name on Redfin’s site and googled me when he was ready to buy. He figured why not talk to a few agents before making his decision; he talked to me (on the phone), a Prudential agent (in person), a Redfin agent (via email) and an agent from San Diego REO Specialists (in person). I prodded him again and asked why he didn’t use Redfin as his broker. What he told me next was just as fascinating, he said, “I wanted a broker not because of his website, or the rebate – the reason I chose to work with you was because we had a certain type of chemistry.” He went on further to say, “I just liked your style.”

Today, I met with another client of mine. I asked her the same question and she answered that the reason she chose to work with was because I offered a rebate. Go figure. Any broker who tells you that they understand all of their clients is just plain lying.

Sometimes clients are just enigmas, wrapped in puzzles, riddled with facts. Truthfully, I spend 50% of my client interaction improving communication, a transaction is difficult to complete when those lines of communication are not established. Know your customer, identify their needs and you will never be hungry.