Customer Service Manual for a Real

Estate Business (Adaptable for

Investors)

Communication:

Preface:

RULE 1 Anxiety creates resentment. Always act to reduce anxiety in whomever it is

we're talking to.

"No Pressure" carries to ALL

Anxiety statement: Please send me this.

Anxiety statement: Could you send this ASAP please?

Anxiety statement: I need you to do this.

No-Pressure Statement: Would you mind helping me with this?

No-Pressure Statement: [Third Party]: Kevin asked if we would mind cleaning this.

EXAMPLES as a service person:

Ex. 1 Seller has a question: "Where's the final closing statement!!"

WRONG answer: "I don't know! Escrow still hasn't sent it to me."

WRONG answer: "Escrow handles those."

WRONG answer: "I've asked for it 3 times!"

Best answer: "I'm so sorry we neglected to make sure you had a copy of that. I'm
going to make sure this is handled immediately. I'll be back in touch shortly."

"So sorry" is empathetic.

"I'm sorry" sounds canned.

"We neglected" means we made a mistake. It's okay to make mistakes.

"Immediately" answers their urgency.

No blame is necessary. We're the hero.

Ex. 2 Seller asks, "Would you mind getting the lockbox off?"

WRONG answer: "Sure!" < Is it a burden?

WRONG answer: "Ok!" < Okay has become passive aggressive in our culture.
Replace "Ok" with "Okay, geez!" for how it's often understood/received.

WRONG answer: "No problem" < why would it be a problem?

Better answer: "Absolutely!"

Better answer: "On it!"

Best answer: "Certainly! I can make sure that gets done by 5:00 p.m. tomorrow at
the latest. Would that be acceptable?”

Disarm and tell them when they should expect a resolution.

Ex. 3 You stepped on my flower and it died!

WRONG answer: "Which flower? I don't recall"

WRONG answer: "I'm sorry IF I stepped on your flower!" NEVER use "IF." Own it.
You not only stepped on it you dug your heal into it and you feel terrible about
your loss of control.

WRONG answer: "i'm sorry"

Better answer: "Ohh no! I'm so sorry we were careless! Which variety was it and
would you mind if replaced it or delivered a replacement to you this week?"
Empathetic. Thorough. Offers compensation. You care about the variety. 0
dwelling on the problem [dead flower] 100% solution oriented.

 Listings:

RULE 2 Always leave positive comments LAST. UNLESS it’s empathic. Empathy >
request > fluff/positivity.

Order in email:

◦ [Update or request first > then pleasantry]

◦ Example:

◦ Not so good: “Thanks so much for your time on the phone. The buyer wants
a $10,000 credit.”

◦ Better: Hey Dave, Kris and Leslie are respectfully requesting a $10,000 credit
[why / reasons / etc.] Then, “Thanks so much for your time on the phone. We’ll make it
work.”

◦ Unless it’s all positive, like “Congrats team! New escrow yeah!!! Woohoo!”
Dance party! Champagne!

RULE 3 WORD CHOICE — HUGE:

Positive Words:
◦ “Great news! The HOA is fixing the fence for us!”

◦ Would you mind

◦ Would you like to

◦ What would you prefer

◦ Congratulations! We have a new escrow

◦ Here’s this

◦ Oh no!

◦ Is there any way we [shared obligation]

◦ thanks (lower-case t)

◦ Thanks so much!

◦ Thanks SO much!

◦ Thank you very much!!

Boarderline

◦ Let me know

◦ Thanks for the update (implies obligation not favor)

◦ Confirm receipt < (achieve followup trick)

◦ Could [only when followed by ‘we’]

◦ Thank you [obligation]

◦ Can we

◦ No (Use Sadly no. Negative. Darn no). Soften.

Negative words [almost never use]

◦ Need

◦ you

◦ [name,] (at email start)

◦ Concerned

◦ please

◦ “Please let me know”

◦ “!” << only for positive

◦ ?? << multiple

◦ … (dot dot dot) BAD.

◦ “As promised”

◦ See

◦ Call me < people hate calling these days, but if you say that, give a reason.

Never Say This:

◦ Do you have an update? [Always come from the angle of offering help; if
someone has an update for you and you’re just checking in, they’ll feel guilty by you
asking like that. Hey, just wanted to ask if you needed any updated documents from
me or wanted me to send any emails / make nay calls to help you out on — {whatever
issue}].

◦ Here’s the form. [Always ALWAYS add something softening; don’t be a cold
robot!]

Email formatting:

[Customer-Friendly Subject + Short][Colon] [Property Address] [/] [Sometimes borrower last

name]

Example:

Credit to Buyer Addendum: 3420 Pier Walk / Martinez

Buyer's Walkthrough: 9602 Roberts Street

Escrow Amendment (Extension): 123 E. Main Street

Titling:

Always include property direction and address suffix in emails, texts, or any written
communication:

"8219 Geneva Street"

"9602 Robertson Ave"

“1705 E. Thompson Blvd."

Grammar:

Grammar:

When is a hyphen used?

Anytime more than 1 word describe (as an adjective/descriptive word) a noun

No-Pressure Agent

1000-square-foot house

No pressure. [statement without noun].

That house is 1000 square feet [statement without noun following].

LED Light Fixture [tricky one; noun is actually light fixture]