It has been noted before that title agents serve a lot of masters, including real estate agents, lenders, homebuyers and sellers, as well as the underwriters they represent. You may find it ineffective to craft a single customer service approach, since each vertical has its own specific needs and requirements.
Today, we will take a look at some specific things to keep in mind when providing exemplary service to your real estate agent clients, including understanding their needs in regard to communication, motivation, education, empathy, responsiveness.
Communication: Is everything
Communication is the most foundational aspect of customer service. From the first contact you have on a transaction to the last, you want your customers to feel confident that they are seen, heard and in the know every step of the way. This is the genius behind Alanna’s program. Alanna can walk customers through the title and closing process, update customers on their status, answer questions 24/7, and follow up after the transaction to gather feedback and keep in touch for future needs.
Motivation: What do you need
A fundamental tenet of customer service is getting to know your client and that is especially important when working with REALTORS. Every real estate agent (and broker) has their own way of doing things. It is helpful to understand your clients’ “why” and what motivates them so you can speak their language and respond to their needs accordingly. Asking a few questions up front and recording them for future reference can help you tailor your services and communications more effectively.
Education: Don’t assume they know
Over the past two decades, title agents have come to realize they have a pivotal role in educating both lenders and real estate agents about the title, escrow and closing process. Especially with new clients, never assume that the know all the details about these three processes. This is particularly true with unusual transactions that involve divorce, probate, foreign buyers and sellers, or powers of attorney. Be prepared with written information and materials that provide the necessary information for the loan officer (or the REALTOR). That goes double for fraud prevention. Educating your client about your own fraud prevention protocols and how you intend to communicate with them, and their clients will go a long way to protecting everyone in the transaction.
Empathy: Understand their reality
Listening to your customer throughout the transaction process, including understanding their workload, priorities, and pacing can inform how you tailor your approach to them and the information sharing that is so pivotal to this relationship. In addition, paying close attention to any particular challenges or needs for a specific client can help both of you avoid any missteps.
Responsiveness: Anticipate client needs
And finally, enough cannot be said about timely communications. REALTORS and loan officers alike are intent on moving transactions forward and halting their momentum because you are not responding to their queries in a timely manner will not endear you to them. Employing sophisticated and responsive communications channels such as Alanna can ensure you are being proactive in anticipating your client’s needs, reduce unnecessary communications about routine matters, and provide you with more time to deal with the more technical issues that may arise along the way.
Catering to your client’s specific needs is a necessity to run a successful title agency, and Alanna is here to help. From answering general or file specific questions, to collecting and processing buyer and seller information, Alanna is on the job 24/7 for your clients. Call us today to learn more!