One could argue that as a real estate broker, you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. That being said, it is not only important that you build a strong brokerage filled with talented and motivated agents, but you need to cultivate a larger network filled with respected professionals with a wide variety of knowledge in diverse business areas. While most brokers have accumulated a good set of contacts over the years, it is important that you know how to leverage that network to get the most out of it in terms of leads, referrals, and insight. With some careful planning and a well-rounded strategy in place, you can easily squeeze a remarkable amount of value out of the network you have already built. Here are some proven methods of doing just that from the experts at Weichert.
Collaborate to Create Content
Everyone knows that in the digital era of real estate, content remains king. Rather than making all of your content completely about your brokerage, you can expand your reach by including appropriate network partners in your content. Partner with other local professionals, charities, small business owners, and complementary real estate professionals (ie. Lawyers, title companies, home inspection, etc.) to create hyperlocal infotainment style content that helps both businesses to grow, showcase expertise and capitalize on one another’s following. For example, you could partner with your preferred home inspection company to create a blog post about the top 3 things to look for in a home inspection. Or create a post on the best local restaurants for “date night” and partner with the owners or managers of those restaurants to build the content. Typically, those businesses that you partner with will be more than happy to promote your content on their own websites and social media, resulting in greater brand reach, and awareness.
Pay It Forward
Being generous with referrals helps to grow your own referral business exponentially. Have you ever had someone do a favor for you or send you a referral without being prompted to? Didn’t you notice how compelled you felt to pay back that favor? If you take the lead by sending referrals to people in your network that you trust and believe in, you can bet that they will be likely to return the favor. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled on social media platforms like Facebook which will make it easy for you to tag and refer the other business owners in your network. This rule of reciprocity is powerful and will help you to stand out in any networking group you belong to.
Attend Events With A Purpose
It’s easy to attend networking events and stick to people you may already know. While it is good to further develop the connections that you have already made, you should also push yourself to form new connections and look for opportunities to make additional connections within your existing network. Develop a good “elevator speech” about what you do that doesn’t make you sound like every other real estate professional in your market, clearly communicates who you target, and defines the value you provide. Also, make sure to ask the new people that you meet what type of referrals they are looking for so you can keep them in mind when looking for ways to pay it forward.
Look Outside Your Market
Social media is an excellent source of other real estate professionals and entrepreneurs that you can connect with to exchange ideas and solve challenges that arise as you grow. One easy way to connect with other like-minded professionals is to look for groups on Facebook and LinkedIn that focus around topics that can help you to grow, as well as, offer you the opportunity to share your own expertise. Additionally, there are plenty of real estate groups out there that can offer referrals and relocation business which can be profitable if you’re able to act quickly.
Leverage a Brand’s Internal Network
One of the best ways to take your networking options to the next level is to consider affiliation with a national brand like Weichert. While networking may not be the first thing you think of when considering joining a franchise, it can quickly become one of the major benefits of affiliation. A brand like Weichert for instance, brings with it the family-like camaraderie of other experienced brokers, trainers, and a huge infrastructure of coaching and lead generation that is part of the power of our internal network and our many real estate divisions. Our internal network can translate directly into sales opportunities through our international relocation company, our national lead generation network, our network of Referral Associates, online chat boards, as well as the relationships you develop directly with other Weichert brokers across the country through some of the many management conferences and events that Weichert facilitates.
At Weichert, we understand the power of networking because we’ve always taken a people-first approach to supporting every member of the team. To learn more about how Weichert brokers are empowered to develop and leverage our network go to www.weichertfranchise.com.
