How Effective Communication Skills Help You Avoid Clients’ #1 Complaint

The number one complaint that we hear from owners, property management clients, buyers, and sellers is what they perceive to be a lack of clear and timely communication. 

I’ll be honest: Sometimes, we don’t want to communicate because we don’t have anything to say. 

We don’t want to have to call and give any of our clients the bad news that we haven’t had any activity on the property or any new leads in their house hunt. In cases where you’ve already had a discussion (more than once, at times) about lowering the price of a property, it may be tough to try again. 

We’re human so, depending on the situation, we may lean toward procrastinating. It’s not the best practice, but it happens. We sometimes avoid making a phone call even though we know we have to do it and understand why. 

A lot of times, this is where the lack of communication comes into play – and affects how our clients perceive our behavior. However, just like this is one of the top complaints, clear and effective communication is perhaps the most important skill for a professional realtor to have. 

When you’re at the top of your game, you’re committed to keeping your clients informed at every stage. 

It’s not always possible to be perfect, and even when you have good communication skills, you won’t be able to make everyone happy – but if you’ve spent too much time procrastinating of late or feel like you need to bolster your communication skills, I promise this will lead to a lot more happy clients – or at least fewer unhappy ones. 

Keeping our clients informed is just what we do; it’s part of the job. 

However, there’s a flip side of the coin. 

Here’s a tip about effective communication: We must be careful not to confuse our obligations to customers with our obligations to clients. 

The Difference Between Customers and Clients

I define customers as people who are calling in either from the website or maybe someone who picked up your business card somewhere and is reaching out with questions. Ultimately, customers are people you are not currently working with.

On the other hand, clients include the people you are currently working with – or past clients. In essence, people in your database, your current clients, and the people you’re working with are the ones who get your cell phone number –  and get your undivided attention. 

These people are with whom you actively communicate via text or you pick up the phone and call. If you are in a situation where you’re under the gun or you’re busy, it’s crucial to prioritize your clients’ interests over customer requests and customers’ interests.

Logically, we all know there are only so many hours in the day. We all have other obligations, but the most important thing you can do as a professional is make sure the people who already know and trust you and have committed to supporting you and your business are absolutely number one on your priority list. 

I hate to say it like this, but here’s the truth: New customers are secondary to taking care of the people who got you here. 

I’ve brought up this adage before, but it’s relevant. 

Make new friends, but keep the old. We’ve heard this phrase or song since grade school. When determining how to balance your time and structure your business, it’s crucial to recognize that you can’t be for everybody. It’s exhausting to try and, often, you will fall short somewhere if you stretch yourself too thin. 

At a minimum, be there for the people you’re working one-on-one with. Be there for your clients. You’ll make time to build new clients with those customer calls at a later date. 

Final Thoughts

When you work in a client-facing career, communication skills are key to ensuring your clients have all the information they need and can draw from your experience to make the most informed decisions possible. Real estate can be stressful – but we can’t lose sight of the bigger picture. As agents working by referral, our client relationships are what fortify the foundation of our business. When they win, we win. And when they win, they trust us with their connections – and maybe even get us a new referral. 

To set yourself apart from other realtors in this competitive industry, hone your communication skills to ensure all your clients feel comfortable, informed, and confident in the decisions they’re making. When they’re happy with their purchase or sale – and not stressed about the outcome – you’re more likely to have a smoother, lower-stress transaction.