Real Estate like any other sales type industry has no leg to stand on if there is no one to sell things to. You can have the most revolutionary approach to selling things, but without customers you have nothing. There’s even a reason they call it a “contact” list instead of a customer list. The reason is that this is not a one time thing. In order to capture a sale more than likely you will need to maintain “contact” with these folks until the right opportunity presents itself. This includes followup calls and other types of checking in sessions. While this may seem tedious it serves a great purpose. For whatever reason, alot of people have no desire to volunteer information freely. Every follow up has to potential to yield more contacts. I can barely count the amount of times I follow-up with someone and they tell me of a relative, friend, or co-worker that is looking to buy or sale a home. My first thought is “why didn’t you refer me”, but that is quickly squashed by the realization that that is not their job, its mine. I need to know how and when to ask the right questions to solicit this type of information. While you may feel that you are becoming a nuisance by checking up on folks with limited interest in your chosen profession, studies have shown that increasing your contact with a person by one extra time per year can result in an additional 3-5 viable contacts. This also doesn’t end with a sale. Maintaining contact on anniversaries of sales and birthdays can also yield more results for you. There is literally no closed in to this step. Always be open to networking. Always be ready to sell your acquired experience. You never know who might be listening. Next entry we’ll cover Market Trends.