#1 Build a portfolio of properties international buyers will be interested in
Use this coming year to really learn about your international buyers, and to understand exactly what they’re looking for. The more you talk to potential buyers, the more you’ll find that there are key similarities shared by many people looking for an international move. If you are able to source properties that offer these things, you will have a strong portfolio for selling into the international property market. See 10 features international buyers are looking for, for some great ideas.
#2 Use a portal to attract leads
If you haven’t already, make 2018 the year you invest in a property portal like Kyero to help get your properties in front of millions of potential international customers. Most international buyers begin their research online before they decide they’re ready to visit properties in person. The best property portals will appear in the top search engine results when people are searching for properties in Spain, giving you a head start over many of your competitors.
#3 Post high quality listings with key details highlighted
Once you’re set up on a portal you can begin to add your listings. There are several ways you can make these more engaging and appealing to potential buyers. The most successful property listings use attractive photos and insightful details that not only help the prospective buyer learn about the property, but also picture how their life could be changed for the better if they lived there.
#4 Make sure your photos are great quality
Even if this is something you’ve been putting off because it’s not your favourite part of the job, you’ll be amazed at the difference good quality photos can make in terms of attracting prospective clients. So get yourself a decent camera and learn how to take photos that will stand out, attract potential buyers’ interest and get them clicking through to make an enquiry.
#5 Respond to customer enquiries quickly and professionally
When prospective customers contact you, whether by email or phone, make sure you get back to them promptly, and be as prepared and professional as you can be. Remember, these potential clients may have contacted other agents too, so if you don’t respond, there’s a pretty good chance someone else will beat you to the sale. If you change nothing else, make a new year’s resolution to answer enquiries promptly.
#6 Work on your customer service
Customer service isn’t just about being friendly and smiling a lot. Make 2018 the year you put in place a customer service strategy that’s consistent across your team. One that will make you stand out from the competition. Listen to what your customer is telling you and communicate with honesty and integrity at all times.
#7 Put in place a CRM or similar
A customer relationship management (CRM) system is a great tool for keeping track of all your past and present customers as well as prospective leads. You can use it to manage relationships by making sure everyone in your team has up-to-date information when they speak to clients. And you’ll be able to create reports to keep your business (and your bottom line) on track.
#8 Actively seek out reviews and feedback to help you improve
The best way to get insight into what bits of your business need improving is to listen to what your customers have to say. Ask for feedback; ask for reviews; make sure you respond to people and take on board their thoughts. And then act on them to improve relationships and do business better in the future.
Reviews and testimonials are also a great way to prove to other prospective customers that you know what you are doing and can do it well. Use them wherever you can in your marketing.
#9 Use social media to your advantage
Do you use social media to draw people to your listings on a property portal? If not, why not? For some, it’s because they don’t know where to start, for others it can all seem too overwhelming. But the benefits of a well thought through social media presence can be huge. So make this year the year you get started. Don’t try to do it all though. Pick one platform, such as Twitter or LinkedIn, and learn to do that well before introducing the next.
#10 Put in place quarterly reviews
To keep your business moving forward, sometimes it’s important to reflect on the past. Diarise a time each quarter to sit back and look at how business is going. Talk about how the team is performing, and make a plan by deciding what you will focus on for the next three months. By breaking the year down in this way you’ll find things become more manageable, and when you look back at the end of 2018 you’ll be amazed at how much you have achieved.
