Tips For Engaging With Clients Virtually

Editor’s Note: As the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) is fluid, information in this article was correct at the time of posting and may be out of date at the time you are reading it. For the most up-to-date guidance on coronavirus, please visit PARealtors.org/coronavirus.

Continuing to do business during the coronavirus pandemic is challenging to say the least.

Erica Ramus, broker/owner of Ramus Realty Group in Pottsville and a frequent speaker at NAR’s Tech Edge conferences, offers a few tips that she’s giving to her agents.

“Since we’re all stuck at home, do the things you’ve wanted to do, but never seemed to have the time for before,” Ramus said. “Follow up with previous buyers and sellers and make a personal connection. It’s not about asking them about whether they’re in the market, it’s about making the connection.”

“We may not be doing in-person visits, but we can still make a personal connection from home. I talked to one client and asked if they needed anything and she needed something from CVS, so I stopped to pick it up and delivered it to her. It’s the little things that make a difference to people that we might not have thought about before,” she added.

Ramus has challenged the agents in her office to make 10 phone calls to previous clients every day. “It’s touching base and showing their clients that they care,” she said.

“We’re blessed,” she continued. “If this had happened 20 years ago, when we didn’t have the technology, it would have been much more difficult. Technology is making it possible to continue to do business. We don’t need to meet in person to sign contracts or to see a house. Last week I started using FaceTime to show houses; it’s not perfect, but it helps show clients a property without meeting them in person. With last week’s tighter restrictions on doing business, we’re not scheduling showings right now.”

She also urges her agents to use the time to take online classes. “I watched four webinars the other day. When you have connections online, people are very open to share what they’re doing in their businesses and offer tips to help each other. You can still do something proactive to help your business during this time. Many universities are offering free online classes now. Take one of these to keep your mind sharp.”

Her business has seen a decline, but she remains optimistic. “I track everything. I know that our leads are down about 25%. We will make it through this. There are things you can do right now to minimize the damage. If we do that, we will survive,” Ramus added.