Communication: The Difference between Communicating and Engaging.

Homebuyers score goals and secure properties based on their relationship with the leading sales agent. Find out which best-practice communication and engagement methods can turbocharge your day-to-day communication with agents.

The real estate business is a, first and foremost, people-based industry. Real estate sales agents provide an essential service, given that property is one of life's most important purchases.

If you, as a buyer, hope to get a decent chunk of the time of day from agents that matter, you need to cultivate warm, fuzzy relationships. That's your?role!?

But, as we all know, it's competitive out there and staying ahead of the pack means developing and nurturing trusting relationships and deploying every soft skill in the book. That starts with Communication and Engagement!

Let's see how the two are linked.

The difference between Communication and Engagement

Engagement and Communication overlap. In many ways, they complement each other. This overlap creates a memorable space.

Communication and authentic Engagement helps build positive buyer/agent relationships. As a buyer, you can work from both perspectives since both are required for property success.

The skill is in knowing when to?communicate?versus when to?engage.?

Although the words' communication' and 'engagement' are distinct, they are commonly interchanged in the buyer/agent relationship.?

For instance...

Communication is typically associated with a conversation in some manner.

Good communication carries messages and information between an organisation/agent or individual/buyer

Communication is crucial in a successful buyer/agent relationship to ensure that both parties are abreast of things. That means the buyer knows what's happening and why it's happening even before it's happened. They need to be in the agent's pocket.

Is it Engagement or just Communication?

True engagement happens when you open up the dialogue of understanding to understand the other's point of view.

The "other" in this scenario is the sales agent.

If you're looking for clues into how the pros do it, here's a tip, sitting down with another homebuyer and picking their brain can give insight into your competition.?

Things to look out for:

Is your method of engagement failing?

Are you losing out to others with properties sold from under your nose?

Do you even know how it happened?

Or is it more subtle? Like when an agent representing a property you love starts ghosting you.

How will you know if your engagement is ineffective?

Are you paying close attention??

How would you rate your ability to read body language and eye contact??

Did you miss a few revealing clues the agent demonstrated whenever they saw you? The classic hand over the mouth or a relentless jaw twitch?

Proximity

Your physical proximity will emphasise the level of engagement with the sales agent. This can occur where the contact is face-to-face compared to communication from a distance via email or SMS.

Merging Communication and Engagement

Communication and engagement are best delivered in bite-sized chunks.

Start the communication process. Make a list of key agents you need to engage with, those with the most influence and listings in your area. Think about ways to build rapport and spark a two-way dialogue. Make them feel like they have a stake in your success.?

Use a variety of communication methods to keep the agent informed.

Open up a two-way dialogue that goes beyond the?information?level.?

Rule of Thumb:?The most suitable engagement approach is understanding vendor expectations.

Schedule a time to sit down and question and understand the agent and their vendor's needs. Take on board what they're saying.?

Is there enough there to keep the rapport going??

Or do they need more engagement?

If so, time to asses your method of engagement to see if it's working?

• Plan?your Communication and Engagement?
• Communicate?the key points of the potential purchase
• Engage?with key agents to ensure your approach is on track.

What makes engagement?

Test your knowledge to see if the following is communication or engagement

Meeting with an agent and providing a brief of the property you're searching for.

Sending the agent communications via email and SMS?

Or do you need to have an actual conversation to engage?

Tip:?Engagement comes to life in the way you?listen.

Is communication a one-sided conversation or, worse, a marketing tool?

Professionally styled communication is distributed via updates, SMS, social posts, newsletters, or mail drops. Whether the message is broadcast to select groups or thousands, it needs to invite a conversation.

While it delivers the message, it is not a conversation and lacks the features of engagement. A lot of this communication style is one-way. In that sense, it is one-sided.?

Two Way Conversation

That's a different scenario when?dialogue?follows. Then the conversation becomes two-way, and there is an intersection between Engagement and Communication—craft key messaging, including strategies, project summaries, and timelines.

Control the narrative of information to key agents.

Effective Engagement

In contrast to Communication, Engagement requires you to connect and be attentive. It is focused on?engaging?in decision-making or problem-solving. Whether formal or informal, a successful meeting is intentional and dialogic. It depends upon meaningful interaction. An element of active listening combined with verbal and non-verbal reassurances is needed. This connection layer helps clients feel heard and builds trust when done effectively.

Summary

Engaging with agents is not a series of communications but an ongoing cycle during the lifespan of the property search. In contrast to Communication, Engagement requires you to connect and be attentive.?

This connection layer builds trust and helps agents feel heard when done effectively. Active agent engagement will allow you to develop better relationships and potentially make your challenge of buying a home more accessible in the long run.

The essence of communication focuses on the big 'W's':?

What to say, When to say it and Who to say it to.?

Happy, Healthy, Calm.

Real Estate Therapy HQ is tucked within the Trelease Associates Family and is a simple, effective range of property-buying essentials based on world-class theories. Our solutions are formulated in-house to be as effective as possible while being as effective as possible. We want even the most sensitive soul to be healthy, happy and calm throughout the home-buying process.

Trelease Associates?is a fully confidential?buyer's agent in Sydney?serving the?North Shore,?Inner West,?Eastern Suburbs?and?Northern Beaches. We know you expect professional expertise and accountability from your buyer's agent.?Contact us?today to discuss how we can help make your property dreams a reality.

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