Building trust with your clients, whether in real estate or any sales profession, gives you a competitive advantage because it helps form long-term relationships that drive repeat business, referrals, and word-of-mouth marketing that attracts new clients.

In fact, a study by the Keller Center for Research at Baylor University found that trust has been shown to decrease a buyer’s decision-making uncertainty, increase cooperation, reduce functional conflict, and reduce the likelihood that they will leave the relationship. Similar research shows that the trust a client has for a salesperson is affected by perceptions of that person’s expertise and the empathy they show for the client’s needs.

Obviously, it is to your advantage to make focusing on deepening your clients’ trust in you while building trust among your leads and prospects a primary function of your marketing and interactions.

What follows are five ways you can use to earn trust and build rapport with clients.

1. Start by saying thank you

The best way to start building a long-lasting relationship with your clients is by expressing your thanks and gratitude in the right way and using the right tools. Today’s consumers expect and demand personalized communications. An auto-responder “Thank you for your business!” email is as worthless to them—and the growth of your business—as an umbrella in a hurricane. You will be much better served if you take the time to send a handwritten note or call them.

These touchpoints are not attempts to pitch a sale; they are an opportunity to express your sincere appreciation for their business. Block regular time in your schedule to let your clients know you’re grateful for their business.

Whenever possible, tailor how you communicate your appreciation to the tastes and preferences of your client. Did you recently start working with a millennial home buyer? You’d make a lasting impression if you sent them a gift card for a cup of coffee. Did you recently close a sale on a home for a young family? Imagine how grateful they would be if you showed your appreciation by finding them a babysitter for moving day.

It isn’t the amount of money you spend that makes these impressive gestures. It’s the fact that so few agents do these things—you can’t help but stand out. Build trust by saying thank you in a truly genuine way.

2. Take time to communicate

Your clients depend on you to keep them informed and to make regular communication with them one of your top priorities. It is true, however, that we all have different attention spans and information requirements. Some clients like to be copied on all activity, while others only want the most important bits and pieces.

Make it a point to ask your clients how they prefer to be communicated with and take the time to communicate with them regularly. Doing so will show your respect for their needs and preferences. Also, be sure you let them know the best way to get in touch with you—whether by phone, email, or text. Keeping the lines of communication open and responding promptly will help build rapport and trust in the relationship.

3. Be a useful resource

The more value you offer, the more a client will come to depend on you as a trusted and useful resource, so don’t hesitate to share information that your clients may find useful. Providing your clients with relevant information can come in the form of a content-rich website, a quick email letting them know you read a blog that might interest them, or telling them about the launch of a new farmers’ market in their neighborhood.

Many of our clients send our Local Events Newsletter to their sphere. It’s full of specially selected hand-curated events happening where their clients live and work. It’s one of four tools that make up our Digital Marketing Platform. Automated for delivery, you can give your clients and sphere information they’ll use and appreciate while positioning yourself as a neighborhood expert and reliable source of information.

CLICK HERE to enjoy the ease of automated email and social media marketing.

4. Listen to concerns, and relieve them

It can be hard to dig down to the root causes of your clients’ concerns, but if you listen closely enough and ask the right questions, you may find ways to make their lives a bit easier. There’s no better way to demonstrate your commitment and earn someone’s trust than solving a vexing problem. You may find that by digging down to the root of your client’s concerns, your deals close quicker and your clients are happier.

Perhaps you have a client who’s concerned about qualifying for a mortgage. Offer to help them get a realistic assessment of their qualification. Suggest they meet with your preferred lender. Tell them how to request their credit report. Share our free resource, “Improve Your Credit Score to Purchase a Home,” that can help them strengthen their credit. (We have tons of free resources in our Resource Library to help you and your clients.) Then promise to stay in touch with a monthly call to check in and to provide them with useful info as they need it. Better to build a strong, trusting relationship now so that when they are ready to buy, you’re the agent they call.

5. Drop the hard sell

Hard sell techniques are designed to get customers to purchase goods or services in the short term; this simply doesn’t work in real estate. Buying or selling a home is an emotional decision, and pushing the sale isn’t going to get you very far and will create feelings of mistrust.

Make an effort to find unique ways to stay in front of your clients, without overselling. Let them know you’re a trusted resource, and that you’re available to them when they need you. You’ll build trust and repeat business by being honest and authentic and dropping the hard sell.

The relationships you have with your clients matter

Building relationships with your key clients is something that takes time, patience, and effort. We’re experts in helping real estate agents close more deals and retain more business by providing products and services that build strong, trusting relationships.

Sending one of our four, coffee-table quality magazines is an excellent way to express your thanks, educate and entertain, and stay top of mind without the hard sell. Filled with interesting articles and quality content, you can connect with past clients and prospects every six weeks with automated, personally branded value that they’ll appreciate and look forward to receiving.

You can get a free PDF copy of our most recent issue delivered right to your inbox when you CLICK HERE.

By demonstrating your resourcefulness and thoughtfulness, solving problems, and listening with empathy, you create a foundation for trust, repeat business, and referrals. Use these ideas to position yourself as an agent people are eager to work with.