Habits of trusted property agents in Nigeria

To become a successful real estate agent in Nigeria, you have to develop certain habits. If you love your job as a property agent and look forward to becoming even better at what you do, we have come up with a list to help you excel.

1. Respond to leads in good time

As a real estate agent, responding to the leads is as important as getting them. Regardless of whether the leads come in via emails, phone calls or Direct Messages on your social media accounts, they are all important. Make it a priority to respond to them as quickly as you can.

2. Leverage on technology

Technology is not restricted to the internet alone. Millions of Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora are on the internet. Technology makes the task of reaching them, enlightening them and selling to them much easier than was possible 30 years ago. In essence, leverage the power of online exposure to grow your businesses. For instance, you could use Apps to reach mobile customers. Using devices like drones also gives you an opportunity to capture images and videos showing exciting views of properties.

3. Put videos online

It’s important to do what everyone is doing if you want to reach the larger market. However, to stand out, you have to go the extra mile and videos are powerful vessels to deliver your message. In addition to listing your property online, you should also upload videos of properties you have available to sell or rent.

Also, you can upload videos of tours of the neighbourhood where the properties are located. If you make your videos fun, interesting and engaging, you will reach a larger audience. YouTube offers you a platform to achieve this. Facebook edge rank currently prioritises video content over other types of content. Also, Youtube users watch over 1 billion hours of videos daily.

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4. Advertise online

Paid adverts are effective ways to reach your audience. You must understand that advertising is highly targeted. Your clients are people and companies that need your service. Therefore, you can create ads that target such people. For example, Google is the most popular search engine in Nigeria and people use it to search for everyday stuff. Reaching people at the point of need using Google ads, for example, delivers better ROI than other channels of marketing.

Paid search advertising essentially stands out as an effective online channel, which leads to fast results. It also attracts good Return On Investment.

5. The place of an assistant

As a busy property agent, there will be times when you will realise that you are struggling to respond to all your marketing emails, phone calls and other enquiries. When this happens, what you need is an assistant. Don’t be in a rush to hire a full-time assistant especially when you cannot afford it. Delegation frees up time from petty stuff so you can concentrate on the most important stuff that brings direct revenue.

6. Know your neighbourhoods

To build a reputation of a reliable real estate agent, it’s important to know your neighbourhoods in details. For instance, if you introduce yourself as a real estate agent with expertise on the island in Lagos, it would be a shame if you don’t know neighbourhoods like Lekki, Ajah, Ikoyi and Victoria Island.

However, it is not enough to know just the districts, you should also have a broad knowledge of the best schools around, the best restaurants, the kind of people who go there, the best places to shop. Your clients will have a lot of questions when they approach you to rent or buy an apartment or a property, which reinforces the need to know your neighbourhood.

Also note that when you really know your neighbourhoods, people can tell when you are talking about it and it leaves a strong impression about you and your work.

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7. Don’t ignore social media

Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat are powerful tools in the hands of a real estate agent. As a property agent, consider the internet your friend because, the larger your network, the wider the number of people you will be able to reach. You should also encourage your friends to share your social media posts on their timelines. The idea is to reach far more people that you would have pulled on your own social media accounts to facilitate a quicker sale.

8. Listen to your client

A dependable real estate agent pays a lot of attention to the needs of his/her clients. Make their needs a priority and what you should focus on is getting them a property that is right for them and not one that you feel is right for them. If for example, your client is adamant on a specific price range, don’t distract the client by showing him/her more expensive properties in the hope that he/she will be carried away by the beauty of the property. Same applies to their preferences on location.

As a property agent, your reputation counts as much as the things you pay attention to. It is important to understand your neighbourhoods, how to reach a wider audience, the place of advertising as well as leveraging technology.

Final Thoughts on Successful Real Estate Agents in Nigeria

A successful real estate agent never stops learning. Regardless of how successful you are, find yourself a mentor. Having a good mentor comes with a flurry of personal and professional benefits, which include:

• Tight Spots: If you ever find yourself in a situation that you find tricky to navigate, you can rely on the wisdom and experience of a mentor to bail you out
• Building on Your Success: A mentor is not just there to guide you through tough moments. You can share your success stories with a mentor as they are in a good position to help you build on the success you have recorded
• Staying Focused: In this era of fleeting attention span, you can easily get distracted. Successful real estate agents in Nigeria rely on mentors to keep them on track and this is precisely what you should also set your sights on. A mentor will help you focus on the things that are important even when you suddenly find yourself veering off track
• Passing the Baton: Very few things are as fulfiling as guiding other potential real estate agents in Nigeria by mentoring them. Having a mention point you in the right direction is an amazing way to become a mentor yourself.
• Personal Development: Your personal development never stops regardless of how successful you become. Mentorship in the real estate circle gives you the opportunity to build a strong network of people who add value to your experience.
• Accelerated Growth: Having a mentor comes with the benefit of having someone to talk things through with. The sheer experience and network strength of a mentor give the advantage of achieving great results quicker than you would have if you decide to take the longer route. Successful real estate agents in Nigeria don’t take their mentors for granted; neither should you

The career of successful real estate agents in Nigeria do not happen accidentally. You have to be deliberate about your choices and the things you pay attention to. When you win the trust of your client and offer them true value, they will be more likely to refer you to their friends and family.

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