In most industries, it is cheaper to retain an existing client than it is to earn the business of a new one. In the real estate industry, this can be a bit more challenging. When years can span before your client decides to move again (if they decide to move at all), retaining clients becomes a huge challenge. You certainly don’t want to close the door to any future opportunity, but it can be time-consuming to upkeep with these existing clients in a way that doesn’t appear spammy, or (dare we say ) automated, especially when you need active clients in the present.

It may seem simple enough as adding this client to an automated e-mail list, but in this world where we’re constantly bombarded with phone calls, direct mail, email, texts, ads, and umpteen other things that it can be tough to stay in front of our clients in a manner that is both personal and engaging. As you may imagine, finding a way to do this without being annoying, redundant, or downright obnoxious can be synonymous with more work, but by investing time in the little things, you can keep your clients happy and engaged for future business. Here are some basic ideas to help you along:

1. Send A Thank You Card

This is so easy and yet so few of us ever do it anymore. Make your grandmother proud; get in the habit of sending thank you cards after every deal you complete. Keep it short and sweet, but let them know how much you appreciate their business. We often forget the little things. There are quite a few options out there for sending thank you cards. Check out our article “3 great tools to send hand written cards without picking up a pen” to learn some great tools available to help you with this.

2. Buy A Housewarming Gift

When people here the word “gift” they automatically think extravagant, but a thoughtful book or a gift card to a home goods store would be fine in most cases. This goes a long way to show your appreciation. Few people are ever annoyed by receiving gifts. The key is to make it a thoughtful one, and the best way to do this is taking the time to get to know them during the sales process. Play to your client’s tastes or empower them to purchase something that will make their house a home. There are so many great sites out there built to help you with this, so let me google that for you.

3. Remember Important Dates and Send A Card

Birthdays, wedding anniversaries, or house buying anniversaries all of these are great opportunities to send another personal card letting them know you are thinking of them. It’s also simple enough to do while still maintaining that personal touch. (Again, Check out our article “3 great tools to send hand written cards without picking up a pen” to learn some great tools available to help you with this.)

4. Send Personal E-Mails With Thoughtful, Helpful Content

When we say “personal” e-mail, we don’t mean that monthly newsletter you send out that has the client’s name in it. A bulk email that has helpful content is important to keeping engagement amongst clients, but it shouldn’t be the only tool in your arsenal. In this case, we’re mainly referring to those moments when you are out there searching the internet and you happen across an article that makes you remember one of your clients. Sending it to them with a quick note is a way to keep personal (and unique) while not spending a lot of time.

5. Be A Resource

Going out of your way to help a client acclimate to their new home, city, or community is not only smart for keeping contact, it’s a kindness that many people would appreciate. If they need help with something like finding a good handyman, electrician or plumber, for instance, be the connector. If your clients see you as a resource they will be more likely to think of you in the future.

In this day and age, consumers demand to be treated like an individual rather than a number. The pursuit of automation over personalization makes this difficult. As humans, we not only desire interaction with other humans, we need it. Although there are tools out there that can automate most of the processes needed to do business, we need to seek out those tools that have found a happy medium between helping us to stay in touch with our clients and those that try to do it all for us.