NO TRUST, NO TRADE

Trust is essential to any business transaction, especially in the real estate industry. Real estate agencies rely on trust to build client relationships, negotiate deals, and close transactions. The "No trust, no trade" concept is fundamentally important in a real estate transaction, especially when the easy option after receiving a lead is to send an email. What happened to picking up the phone and building trust? Why do many brokers send an email first?

In the modern world, email has become the primary mode of communication for many businesses, including real estate agencies. However, when building trust with clients, there is no substitute for the personal touch of a phone call. Real estate agencies can build stronger relationships with clients and demonstrate a commitment to their needs and preferences by relying on phone calls.

When a real estate agent picks up the phone and calls a client, it sends a message that the agent is genuinely interested in their needs and wants to build a relationship with them. Phone calls also allow agents to show their knowledge of certain ski resorts and buying processes. This can't be expressed in an email.

This personal touch can be essential in the real estate industry, where clients often have significant emotional and financial investments at stake. Do you ever hear a buyer say, "I never met or spoke to the agent, but he was great on email'?

Phone calls also offer the advantage of real-time communication. When a client has a question or concern, they can pick up the phone and get an immediate response from their agent. This can be much faster and more efficient than waiting for an email response, which may take hours or even days, given the number of emails that end up in spam or junk, especially when sending links or attachments.

Another advantage of phone calls is that they allow for more nuanced communication.

When communicating by email, it can be difficult to convey tone and inflexion, leading to misunderstandings and miscommunications. By contrast, phone calls allow for a more natural conversation, where both parties can listen to what the other is saying. This can help build trust by ensuring that both parties are on the same page and clearly understand each other's needs and expectations and clarify things that are a bit grey.

There are also practical benefits to using phone calls in real estate transactions.

For example, when negotiating a deal, phone calls can be used to make

counteroffers and discuss the terms of the transaction in real time. This can help speed up the negotiation process and increase the likelihood of a successful transaction.

Of course, there are some challenges to relying on phone calls over email. For one, it can be more challenging to keep track of phone conversations, as there is no written record of what was discussed. This can be addressed by following up with an email summarizing the key points of the conversation. Additionally, some clients may prefer to communicate by email, especially if they are busy and don't have time for a phone conversation. Emails have a time and place in all real estate transactions, but primarily to build trust, there has to be face-to-face communication or a call.

In conclusion, while email has become a standard mode of communication for many businesses, including real estate agencies, there is no substitute for the personal touch of a phone call. By relying on phone calls, real estate agents can build stronger relationships with clients, demonstrate a commitment to their needs and preferences, and increase the likelihood of a successful transaction. While there are some challenges to relying on phone calls, such as difficulty keeping track of conversations, these challenges can be addressed by following up with emails summarizing key points. Ultimately, the "no trust, no trade" maxim applies equally to phone calls and emails - it is the quality of communication that matters most in building trust with clients.

SnowOnly receives lots of feedback from buyers saying that they have not heard from the sellers, only to communicate with the sellers who had sent them an email five days ago. This is not a trustworthy or efficient process and will ultimately result in no sale.