You want to be a real estate mogul. You have studied hard, passed your licensing exam, signed with a brokerage, staked out a viable target market, had some high quality business cards created, and purchased or leased the latest and greatest luxury motor with which to scoot your clients to and fro. You are on your way. Now it is time to sit back, relax, and wait for prospects to come pushing their way through your door. If only it were that simple.

In the real world, while image is certainly important, the most significant asset a real estate professional can have in their toolbox is a desire and aptitude for building and maintaining long-term relationships with their clients. Indeed without good PR skills, there is no foundation from which to build a lucrative and lasting career in this industry. Below are a few ways in which building and maintaining relationships with clients may be accomplished.

Be Available 24/7/365

Real estate professionals must be accessible to their clients 24/7/365. This means answering the phone when relaxing at the beach, in the evening during dinner, on weekends (a given in real world real estate), and so forth. Without the willingness or ability to be accessible to clients in the manner described, there is little chance of rising above the crowd in this highly competitive field.

Embrace the Menial Tasks

In this industry, even the smallest of undertakings should be tackled with enthusiasm; clients and prospects notice and appreciate the well done smaller efforts as much as they do the larger successes. Making every client project an important priority will earn their loyalty for life. These miscellaneous tasks might include touching up walls, scrubbing floors, working with contractors to correct property deficiencies, cleaning up after irresponsible tenants have vacated a dwelling, collaborating with stagers to add appeal and marketability to a home for a faster sale, shopping with clients for that perfect window treatment, listening to them rant and rave about their tenants or landlords, and tactfully, ethically, and legally addressing the array of issues, concerns, and crises that routinely occur on a daily basis.

Adhere to High Ethical Standards

It is imperative to remain honest and ethical, even if it means losing a possible sale or listing. Clients and other stakeholders are legally and ethically entitled to honest and fair dealings with real estate professionals and they should receive nothing less. In essence, building relationships built on trust rather than on lofty promises and dishonesty is a must and will lead to the greatest long-term success.