For many realtors, the majority of their interactions with a real estate brokerage occur through emails, particularly with the conveyance department. However, this is often an area where typical brokerages overlook refinement. Emotions are particularly challenging to convey accurately via email, and research suggests that email senders communicate emotions to recipients, intentionally or not (Byron, 2008). An email might be offensive to the receiver if it lacks pleasantries or other social conventions that serve as verbal markers of the sender’s social presence (Sillars & Zorn, 2021). The failure to accurately communicate emotion, particularly positive emotions, may inhibit relationships between coworkers, employees, and their clients or customers (Byron, 2009).
This presents a strategic opportunity for excellence by providing training to conveyance staff to communicate meaningfully with the agents they are working with.
When an agent submits a listing or sale, they often feel proud and excited about the work they have performed and the contribution they have made to their clients’ well-being, their own household, and the brokerage operations. This is a good time to congratulate the agent on a job well done. Conversely, when an agent experiences a deal falling apart or a listing cancellation, they may feel disappointed and ashamed. This is a good time to express empathy and care. For example, if an agent cancels a listing after spending 6 months trying to sell a property, it’s likely that person has invested significant time, money, and energy into marketing the property without success. This can be a humiliating experience, compounded by the fact that the agent feels guilty for the work they have made the brokerage perform without compensation. In situations like this, small gestures are incredibly meaningful. Instead of responding with a simple “message received” to listing termination paperwork, consider a response like this:
“Thank you for submitting the listing cancellation. We are sorry to see that your listing has been canceled, but we appreciate the effort you put into trying to sell the home. We understand that you did everything possible, and we commend your effort.
With appreciation.”
I know it seems like a small gesture, but a few extra sentences can really soften the blow on a bad day:
An easy win in this regard is to have agents use ChatGPT to enhance their communication by simply asking it to edit messages to sound more uplifting. Simple gestures, like a conveyance officer congratulating an agent on a successful sale or expressing empathy during a challenging deal, can transform what might have been a much-dreaded communication into a message an agent looks forward to hearing. This can go a long way towards keeping your agents engaged with the brokerage.
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ABOUT LIZ PENNER YOUR BEST LANGLEY REAL ESTATE AGENT
Liz Penner is a top-selling licensed real estate salesperson with the Fraser
Valley Real Estate Board and has been a top-selling realtor specializing in the residential resale of condos, townhomes, and houses for over a decade. Liz assists residents of the Langley and Surrey areas to sell real estate while looking out for the client’s best interests. Liz also helps first-time homebuyers, families, and repeat purchasers with their property search process, ensuring that her clients get access to the very best homes on the market while receiving excellent service ensuring that they find the perfect place to call home.
Liz holds a BBA in leadership and has completed a variety of specific training through the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board in the areas of selling strata properties, foreclosures, estate sales, and new construction properties. Liz is also well versed in POAs, the Strata Property Act, and more. If you are looking for a knowledgeable and professional real estate agent that is willing to do everything possible to ensure that you get top dollar for the sale of your home or to find the dream home you are looking for in the Surrey and Langley, BC areas then get in contact today.
If you are looking for a knowledgeable and professional real estate agent that is willing to do everything possible to ensure that you get top dollar for the sale of your home or to find the dream home you are looking for in the Surrey and Langley, BC areas then get in contact today.
WHY LIST YOUR HOME FOR SALE WITH LIZ PENNER
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- I’ve helped sell over 400 properties throughout the Langley and Cloverdale area, and I’d love the opportunity to do the same for you.
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- I’ve experienced straightforward sales and sales that have gone off the rails, back on the rails, off the rails, and then back on again. That’s just the way the real estate train rolls, and it never rattles me.
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- I’ve got a solid toolkit to pull from when a problem arises. I take my job seriously each time, and I will make sure you get top dollar for your Fraser Valley, Langley, or Cloverdale home, smooth sailing, or otherwise.
