The 11 Timeless Practices That Transformed My Real Estate Career

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When beginning my career in real estate, I seriously overlooked the importance of establishing long-lasting client relationships. Fortunately, some experienced colleagues in my office took a liking to me and stepped up to help me on my journey. While these pros shared many things, the most valuable lessons I learned to build relationships and earn numerous referrals included anticipating client requirements, responding promptly, and always upholding honesty.

These are eleven client service practices that helped me excel in customer service and client representation—from the fundamentals to the cutting-edge strategies I used:

1. Communication: Beyond the Basics

Keeping my clients informed by learning and using strong communication skills proved to be a good way for me to establish trust and show reliability. Communication became multi-channel. Whether my clients preferred the phone, text, or email, I learned it wasn't just about adapting to their preferred method; it was about being proficient across all of them (phone, text, email, video calls, social DMs) and setting clear response expectations from the start.

2. Personal Touch: Making Care Scalable

I always used personal interactions to show clients I genuinely cared about them, remembering important details about their preferences and needs. Remembering a few personal things proved an excellent way to make anyone feel valued and appreciated. The great thing about the later stages of my career was that I could use a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool to store and recall those personal details (anniversaries, kids' names, preferred coffee). The personal touch became scalable and consistent.

3. Market Knowledge: Data-Driven Expertise

I consistently kept informed about my local area's latest market trends, pricing insights, and inventory updates. Being informed helped me become an expert, boosted my credibility, and effectively assisted my clients in making informed decisions. I found clients also expected instant data, so I had to not only know the trends but also be able to interpret and present complex data (e.g., local school districts, pricing, general neighborhood information, future zoning changes) using visuals and easy-to-understand reports.

4. Customer Service: The Low-Stress Journey

I consistently delivered exceptional customer service—no exceptions! I viewed customer service as more than a responsibility; I made it a built-in objective. Because I comprehended my client's needs and exceeded their expectations, I could truly take them on a low-stress home-buying or selling journey they remembered long after their deal closed.

5. Embrace Technology: The Modern Transaction

It wasn't always easy, but I welcomed the latest real estate technology tools into my processes as long as they truly provided some benefit. Technology helped streamline my workflow and enhance customer service, showing I was forward-thinking. Beyond basic tools, I later embraced technologies like AI-powered lead nurturing, virtual staging, 3D home tours (Matterport), and e-signing platforms. This became essential for a streamlined, modern transaction.

6. Networking: My Digital Ecosystem

I built relationships with industry professionals like mortgage brokers, home and environmental inspectors, and contractors, and with other real estate agents. I always made my networking about building relationships to help me offer clients pre-screened third-party support. In later years, I maintained a highly vetted digital directory of preferred vendors that I could instantly share via a branded link or app. My network became an extension of my digital service.

7. Negotiation: Anchored in Data

Negotiation proved crucial for securing the best deals for my clients and helped close transactions after they were initially negotiated. Seminars, courses, and resources were available to teach negotiation, and I quickly learned that negotiating at a client's expense was no way to build a referral network. My negotiation skills had to be anchored in rigorous, up-to-the-minute market data. I used data to justify every offer and counter-offer, making my clients' strategy defensible and fact-based.

8. Share Your Knowledge: Empowering Clients

Each client became empowered by me sharing knowledge about the buying or selling process. By proactively sharing knowledge through educational content (blog posts, short videos, market updates, webinars), I established myself as an expert before they even contacted me. Sharing knowledge boosted their confidence in me and helped them feel more comfortable with the transaction's outcome.

9. Honesty and Integrity: Protecting My Digital Reputation

Honesty and integrity were my most valuable assets, and I protected them at all costs. It almost goes without saying that if you are honest and act with integrity, you built trust and established long-term client relationships. This premise is now more critical than ever, as every interaction you will have is potentially public via online reviews (Zillow, Google, Yelp). Your integrity will be directly linked to your one-star or five-star digital reputation. My advice: I let the dishonest client go because they would tarnish my reputation.

10. Improve by Learning: Adapting to Change

I kept learning, stayed in the loop with trends, participated in training, and didn't hesitate to seek guidance from the pros in my office. Continuous learning also meant prioritizing skills in digital marketing, data analytics, and adapting to new property technology. I looked beyond formal courses to micro-learning and industry podcasts.

11. Nurture the Post-Closing Relationship: The Referral Engine

I discovered that the transaction closing was just the beginning of the referral life cycle. I implemented a systematic, automated follow-up plan that included personalized anniversary greetings, annual home valuation updates (CMAs), and sharing relevant local vendor recommendations. Staying top-of-mind and providing value for years after the sale was the most reliable way to secure consistent, high-quality referrals.

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My career was helped with the guidance of those experienced colleagues who took the time to mentor me. We all need a supportive hand to make it in this challenging profession, and I truly feel it's my turn to give back some things I've learned. My sincerest hope is that by sharing my experiences — and these "eleven lessons" which I learned through years of both missteps and triumphs—you find the you find some insight and inspiration to help you out. Please take these stories, internalize the principles, and consider using them as a foundation to build your own thriving, relationship-based real estate career.

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Originally published (C) 2024; Revised (C) 2025 Jeff Sorg

"Your character is your destiny."