Real Estate Agents Share Tips to Building Connections Locally
Building connections in the community is a way of life and inherent in the way Lee and Noel Bittinger run their real estate brokerage, Bittinger Team, Realtors, in Canton, Michigan. As business owners who live in the same local area where their clients live, the couple has developed meaningful relationships with their neighbors and clients around them; it doesn’t come as a surprise that they are a three-time Neighborhood Favorite business winner.
Lee and Noel turned to Nextdoor to engage their community online and reach new potential clients who lived nearby. Lee tells us it was important for them to reach homeowners who lived in specific neighborhoods, so he became a Neighborhood Sponsor, which let him select the neighborhoods where he wanted to grow his business presence. Lee and Noel had already built up a strong local reputation in their 35+ years in the business, but now had a way to carry their brand further into untapped neighborhoods in the metro-Detroit area, ZIP code by ZIP code.
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Lee and Noel Bittinger of Bittinger Team, Realtors.
Lee and Noel shared practical tips on how to invest in local community as a way to build your agent brand, and keep the good word-of-mouth spreading with customer referrals.
1. Get out there and meet people in your farm – both offline and online.
Lee emphasizes building a connection by simply meeting your neighbors and getting to know them. “We try to get out there and meet people in-person. Before you can roll out the right marketing tactics, you must first know what kind of people live in the area. Our business is a household name and that’s because we have chosen to be a part of the community. While today’s society is online-orientated, we make an effort to stay engaged on social media.”
Whether you’re offline or online, the important thing is to be consistent. With regular communication, it’s a good way to stay top of mind and build a positive brand reputation so neighbors associate you with the neighborhood.
2. Educate potential clients about the market with free lessons.
The Bittinger Team regularly develops content that showcases their neighborhood expertise. Posting about hot real estate topics – like reasons to buy and fair market value of homes – creates high engagement among Nextdoor neighbors, where 74% of members are homeowners.
3. “We try as best as possible to be engaging with topics of interest to the community.”
Sparking an informal dialogue with everyday, relatable topics is another way to get your business to stay top of mind amongst homeowners. When the time is right and your neighbors are in need of a real estate agent, they will think of you first.
“I’ve been a sponsor for several months. The number of views of my ads is high. I think it’s because people want to know what’s going on in their community. It’s more engaging and more responsive than Facebook when it comes to community.”
4. Be neighborly.
“When neighbors are asking for recommendations for an electrician or a plumber, we try to chime in to help. It’s a nice way to be a resource.”
By helping other neighbors, it shows you are invested in positively contributing to the neighborhood. When clients realize you want the very best for them, you create the type of experience that converts them into fans who will refer your business for years to come.
5. Show support for local businesses. Connect and network with local businesses.
Lee cultivates relationships with not just his neighbors and clients, but also his professional contacts.
“In my BNI chapter, I meet with other local businesses every week to refer other businesses to one another. If I know my client is looking for carpet cleaners, I can refer Dean’s Carpet Cleaners, whom I met at my chapter meeting.”
Businesses are a valuable source of referral business. Find ways to partner with other local businesses that are invested in community and can contribute to the local economy.
6. Use past client testimonials to attract more business.
When Lee first went on Nextdoor, he was in need of a handyman. A neighbor informed him that he had seen lots of recommendations for Lee’s real estate business.. That’s when they discovered that neighbors were asking, “Know a trusted realtor?” and past clients were recommending their business.
“People don’t go online for Yellow Pages. They ask neighbors and friends for who they recommend is a good window cleaner, a real estate agent, or an asphalt paving company. It’s so valuable. They have first-hand experiences so, as a customer, you want to hear from them, not look at Yellow Pages.”
According to the National Association of Realtors, 39% of home sellers found their agent through a referral by friends or family, and almost 70% of home sellers say they would use their previous agent again. Testimonials from happy customers are powerful endorsements and can spark good word of mouth.
Customers can leave recommendations on your Agent Business Page. Bittinger Team, Realtors not only has strong recommendations, but was voted a Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite business.
Whether you’re already a Neighborhood Sponsor or interested in becoming one, Lee’s and Noel’s tips will help you increase your connections and build your reputation.
Neighborhood Sponsorship provides a dynamic opportunity to connect members with real estate agents. If you’re an agent or broker interested in real estate advertising on Nextdoor, claim your ZIP code(s) and get started with Neighborhood Sponsorships here, or call our Sales team at (866) 844-0224.
