My Favorite Topic – Trust
Trust is the topic I think about more than any other. It’s the entire basis of Horizon. If we don’t solve trust in the context of home sharing and hospitality exchange, we fail.
Seth Godin wrote on the topic recently, saying:
The thing is, almost no one decides the answer to the trustworthy question based on the fine print, your policies, your positions on critical issues of national importance.
We decide long, long before that.
People watch what you do. They watch with the sound off. They listen to others. They seek out clues of the tiniest sort.
How do you build trust with potential clients? In person. On your website. On Twitter. On Facebook. On Youtube.
If others don’t trust you, I assure you, you’re destined to struggle attracting clients as a real estate agent. Or, really, any profession.
More than 3 years later, I still don’t think anyone’s nailed the trusted agent opportunity.
[Graphic via http://consensusgroup.com/]
Sep Niakan
Posted at 09:15h, 06 AprilDefinitely belly-to-belly is the best way to build trust. That aside, if someone is seeking an agent that hasn’t come referred, they will making their judgment the same way we make judgments when we see someone across the party and decide if we want to approach them 1. Are they attractive? (Well, in this situation it might be “Do their pictures seem professional and someone I would like to possibly spend hours with?”) 2. Does their brand (visual and written) match the kind of life I want to live and who I want to be and associate with (looking at profiles and social media)? Are they giving any signals that make me think they are a freak of nature or just are a total mismatch? (political affiliations, lifestyle, etc), and 3. Reviews. If others at the party seem to think he is cool, even thought I don’t know them either, I can assume he is worth giving a try 4. This might not happen at a party, but a prospect might ask, is this person going to give me valuable and honest information? Can I trust him more than others? This is a tough one, because sometimes valuable and honest information may mean you lose a deal, and if you are broadcasting that information (like getting a quote in a well-read paper that the market is about to collapse and that it’s not the right time to buy) you may also lose the support of your real estate colleagues who think you are fueling a fire. But if you can always be honest in any market and provide valuable information, for every deal you will lose I think you will gain double the clients through the trust you build.
Drew Meyers
Posted at 14:17h, 06 April“Definitely belly-to-belly is the best way to build trust.”
Indeed.
It’s unfortunate — but money is also somewhat of a factor — i.e. I trust people who pay money for things. Whether it’s to attend a specific event, or a physical product like a house, car, website. If someone has an awesome website I know cost thousands of dollars — I will inherently trust them more than someone with a site I know costs a couple hundred dollars. Why? Because I know it means more people have trusted them with their business than the agent with a cheaper website.
Sep Niakan
Posted at 17:41h, 06 AprilTRUTH