Ask any broker-owner who ran an office through 2008 about their affiliate partners. They’ll name the lenders, escrow officers, and title reps who disappeared when volume dried up.
Then they’ll name the ones who stayed. They’ll say those names with a completely different tone.
Nearly two decades later, the ones who stayed are still getting the business.
Slow markets sort vendors from partners
When deals are flowing, everyone looks like a partner. There are lunches, sponsored meetings, and donuts on Tuesday.
When deals slow down, the difference shows. A vendor asks, “Got anything for me?” A partner asks, “What can I do to help you get your next one?”
What staying actually looks like
Teach something. A lender who runs a 30-minute session on rate buydowns gives agents a tool they can use at a listing appointment tomorrow. An escrow officer who walks newer agents through where deals fall apart saves transactions. That’s worth more than a hundred branded pens.
Be reachable at 6 p.m. on Friday. Deals don’t fall apart during business hours. Agents remember exactly who picked up.
Help their business, not just yours. Send an agent a short market note she can forward to her clients. Introduce two agents who should know each other. Give before you ask.
Show up when nothing’s happening. Go to the sales meeting when you have nothing to pitch. Agents notice who comes to the room when there’s no business in it.
Keep the promise small and keep it every time. If you said 24 hours, deliver in 24 hours. Reliability is the brand.
For agents and brokers reading this
Look at your partner list the same way. Who stayed with you? Who showed up in your slow year? Send those people your business when times are good. Loyalty should run both ways.
Try This
- Call five agents who haven’t sent you a deal this year. Don’t ask for anything. Ask what’s getting in their way.
- Offer one teaching session this quarter. Pick the question agents ask you most often and build 30 minutes around it.
- Write down your response-time promise. Then keep it for 90 days straight.
Question
If the market went quiet for eighteen months, which agents would still take your call? And which ones would call you first?
The market decides the volume. You decide who you are when it’s low.
Win the day.
