8 Surefire Ways To Boost Your Real Estate Customer Experience
Buying your future home is becoming an increasingly digital experience; in fact, 95% of home searches now begin on the internet.
While brands always try to make their customers happy, with the emerging experience economy, positive customer experiences have become a major differentiator in real estate.
The term “experience economy,” coined by economists B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore in the ’90s, describes how the next step in economic progression is creating memorable customer experiences. An amusement park sells physical tickets to enter, but they also sell an experience—like the adrenaline rush of riding a roller coaster or the joy of winning a carnival game.
The same concept extends to real estate. To stay competitive, it isn’t enough to help a client buy or sell a property. That’s where customer experience comes into play—and part of creating a memorable customer experience is to offer access to tools and features that go beyond the basics.
Millennials, now the largest home-buying population at 38%, have grown up online. With the entire Internet (and all its information) at their disposal, they expect online, on-demand experiences when buying a property. And 95% of all home searches now begin on the internet. Fortunately, the right tools can help real estate agents deliver memorable experiences.
Why is customer experience important in real estate?
The experience customers have throughout their home-buying or selling process is crucial for building strong relationships between realtors and home buyers. Every interaction establishes a foundation of trust and loyalty—which is essential for repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals.
Only 17% of first-time homebuyers contact an agent to start the buying/selling process. Fortunately, real estate agents can leverage new technology—including digital marketing and high-tech tools for listings—to more effectively reach clients, offer a better customer experience, and differentiate themselves as a valued resource.
Expand your network and connect with more clients
Providing clients with a positive customer experience goes beyond warm and fuzzy feelings. When clients are delighted, they’re more likely to come back for more. Investing in customer retention pays—literally. Studies show that loyal customers often become brand advocates, refer new customers, and spread the word about your services.
As a matter of fact, repeat customers spend 43% more with brands they love. Happy clients will also leave great reviews (you gotta get plenty of good Google Reviews!) and refer their friends and family when they need a real estate agent.
Developing a reputation for excellent customer service also encourages other agents to send customers your way. One National Association of Realtors study revealed 4% of buyers and 5% of sellers matched with their agent because of an agent referral. To incentivize this, offer a referral fee to agents who send business your way.
Typically, referral fees range from 25-40% of the gross commission income (GCI), which the receiving agent pays directly to the referring agent.
Builds a strong reputation and memorable brand to stand out
In a crowded real estate market, agents have to differentiate themselves from competitors. There are more than 1.54 million realtors and an estimated two million real estate agents as of 2024 in the U.S. alone. With so many realtors and agents in any given market, you’ll need to brand yourself successfully to rise above all the noise. Establishing a brand centered on excellent customer experiences is a great strategy to win more listings.
To start, create a list of the strengths that set you apart from other realtors and agents, then highlight the top ones in your real estate branding. Some unique aspects to include in your brand could be your experience in a specific niche, deep knowledge of a particular neighborhood, seasoned negotiation skills, or an aspect of your personality.
From there, create a strong brand statement emphasizing your unique strengths and tailored services. Then, promote that brand via:
A branded website
Social media marketing
Digital marketing campaigns via social media, Google Ads, etc.
Start a newsletter
Attend real estate industry events
Networking at local business and community events
8 ways to make your real estate customer experience unique
Personalizing your property recommendations and service based on customer preferences is a popular way to set yourself apart. But tailoring your offerings to your clients is just one way to provide a stellar customer experience—try one (or all) of the tactics below to stand out and heighten customer satisfaction.
1. Build a genuine connection and tailor services to each client
Learning more about your customers is a crucial first step in offering elevated customer experiences. When you know more about customer expectations, you can attract the right kind of buyers/sellers and cater to them.
Start by doing your homework. Study demographic data for the local area; survey current clients to learn about their favorite services and pain points; review market research; and closely study current clients’ needs throughout the buying/selling process.
What your clients may want from you as an agent may also differ based on their age:
Data from the National Association of Realtors showed what buyers and sellers want varies a bit according to their generation. For example, 15% of buyers aged 25-33 engage realtors because they need help negotiating the terms of their sale. That number drops to just 10% for buyers aged 69-77.
When you’re armed with this kind of in-depth client knowledge, it’s easier to create services that better meet their needs.
You can always lean on empathy to foster a closer connection with clients. Buying or selling a property is an intimidating process for first-timers as it is likely the largest purchase many make in their lifetime. By taking on the role of an advisor and coach, you can build strong relationships that translate into loyal clients who will refer you to others, organically expanding your sphere of influence.
2. Personalize property recommendations
Now that you know more about your prospective customers, it’s easier to customize your offerings based on their preferences. One way to accomplish this is to offer tailored property recommendations.
Preview potential listings together beforehand to understand what features jump out to them, and suggest homes based on that new knowledge. For example, if many of your clients are first-time buyers, focus your services on education and recommend listings for starter homes.
You can leverage technology like AI to provide an even deeper level of personalization. For example, genAI can analyze a client’s interactions across different sites and listings, then recommend homes based on the listings they engage with.
3. Streamline communications for consistency
A busy agent can easily send dozens of emails and messages in a day to current and potential clients. Administrative tasks like these can steal hours from your schedule.
There’s no need to draft every email and text message yourself. Instead, leverage customer relationship management (CRM) software for real estate to automate some of your tasks.
Real estate CRMs have become a prevalent tool of the trade in the last decade. The estimated market size for this kind of software was a whopping $3.76 billion in 2023. It’s no wonder real estate CRMs are popular—agents can access a suite of features that simplify how they manage contacts, leads, and transactions.
No need to worry about client emails getting buried in your inbox or missing a follow-up with a prospective buyer. CRMs keep track of your client interactions, ensure timely follow-ups, and even send personalized messages on your behalf.
Currently, the top real estate CRMs include:
4. Respond promptly to keep clients happy
Following up with customers quickly and efficiently helps build a foundation of trust. Make yourself accessible to your clients. Respond to queries in less than 48 hours, point them to helpful resources, and focus on actually trying to solve their problems.
Taking the time to communicate in a way that clients feel heard and respected can go a long way to helping you stand out. James Nelson, a real estate broker in New York City, advises agents to adopt some additional communication strategies to delight customers, which include:
Sending regular updates. Keep customers posted about what’s going on with their properties. For example, send a weekly report to your sellers with metrics like viewings, requests for viewings, traffic data for the online listing, and relevant market trends.
Partnering up with clients. Collaborating with customers makes them feel involved in the process. Treat clients like team members. This gives them all the info they need to make a decision while also managing expectations. Setting up weekly phone calls or meetings, especially if your customer is a couple or family, keeps everyone aligned.
Positioning yourself as an advisor. Don’t try to convince or persuade clients about a property or buyer. Instead, act as their expert guide. You’re there to consult and represent their interests. Make recommendations then leave the final decision to the them.
5. Adapt to each client’s schedule
Your clients are likely as stretched thin as you are. Time is a precious commodity, and they likely don’t have much to spare. That’s why it pays to accommodate clients’ busy schedules.
For example, clients often can’t make showings or attend meetings during a typical 9-5 workday. So, be flexible—offer the option of meeting up on an evening or weekend.
6. Invest in an online real estate brand presence
These days, few home buyers start their journey by dialing a realtor. Instead, 43% of buyers said they first look online for potential properties. That’s why it’s crucial to offer clients a great customer experience through your online brand presence.
It’s not enough to have a static website and social profiles—these are now table stakes. To boost your digital footprint and stand out from the crowd, focus on additional ways to enhance your client experience.
Some examples include:
Beyond-the-basics real estate listings. Bare bones, static photos don’t give buyers enough info on a property. To improve their experience, add aerial photos/videos, 3D virtual tours, and virtual staging for empty spaces.
Helpful content. To educate current and potential clients about listings and the buying/selling process, create narrated home walkthrough videos, blog posts that answer common questions, and market maps. Share across your website and social profiles to engage a larger audience. This kind of content positions you as an expert and demonstrates clients can trust you to guide them through the home-buying/selling process.
Engaging, informative written copy. Writing isn’t everyone’s forte—so outsource this task to AI. Use a tool like ChatGPT to generate compelling copy for your listings. Be sure to get as specific as possible in your prompts. For example, you’ll get basic copywriting with a prompt like: “Write a property description for a one-bedroom condo in downtown Toronto.” Instead, offer more details: “Write a 200-word property description for a newly built condo in a low-rise building in downtown Toronto. Emphasize the spacious four-piece bathroom and features that are ideal for young professionals who want to live in the heart of the city.”
7. Go the extra mile by offering value-adds
One surefire way to elevate your real estate customer experience is to provide a product or service no other competitors offer.
Do some competitor research—what are the most common offerings in your area? Are there any gaps? Then, consider your clients’ unique needs and how you can help.
To help you get started, here are a few examples of potential value-adds to enhance your client experience and differentiate your services:
Partner with a local company to offer professional moving services to clients
Create a list of recommendations for local service providers to send over at closing (plumbers, landscapers, contractors, etc.)
During their move, send clients a gift card to a local restaurant or for a delivery service like Uber Eats. That way, they don’t have to worry about dinner on moving day!
8. Stay in touch after the deal closes
Your client relationship doesn’t end once you make the sale. Keeping the conversation going long after the deal closes can lead to more repeat business and referrals.
Shay Hata, Team Lead at BHHS Chicago, says that if an agent has a couple of years of experience under their belt and does enough post-transaction follow-ups, previous customers and their sphere of influence will make up at least 80% of their business.
Stay in touch with clients to build long-term, lasting relationships with these suggestions from Realtor Magazine:
Automate follow-ups. As mentioned above, you can leverage a CRM for email automation. For example, create a workflow with a series of automated emails that congratulate a client on their new home, send them well wishes on major holidays, tips for winter-proofing their home, and add them to your newsletter list.
Supplement your automatic follow-ups. While automated emails are a great foundation for keeping in touch with clients, add occasional calls, texts, or messages on social media to the communication mix as well.
Send gifts—even if it isn’t the holidays or closing day. Let your previous clients know you care by sending them small gifts to celebrate milestones like weddings, births, accepting a new job, and so on.
Host client appreciation events. Extend an invite to past clients for community events, or host an event just for them. This shows your gratitude for their business and demonstrates your investment in a long-term relationship.
How to leverage real estate technology to create better outcomes for you and your clients
Innovation is essential to every industry. The more competitive the landscape, the more necessary it becomes. Buyers and sellers seek the best experience possible to ease them through what is usually an emotional and stressful process. To stand out, real estate professionals need to adapt their business to appeal to modern clients.
How long does it take to find the ideal property?
Of course, choosing an innovative strategy is easier said than done, but a handful of modern real estate marketing tools and technology can help you get there.
As aforementioned, agents can get a little help from AI to offer personalized property recommendations and write listing copy. CRMs track your client interactions and even automate some of your emails and text messages. And augmented reality (AR) tools like Renovate AI can help clients envision what a space will look like after it’s renovated (like adapting a bedroom to an office).
There are dozens of tools to help you market your services and properties. Fortunately, a platform like Matterport offers multiple high-tech features. Matterport offers the best reality capture technology via its digital twins—three-dimensional virtual versions of your properties. A digital twin accurately captures every nook and cranny, and then creates a model of your property that’s easy for clients to navigate.
From there, it’s easy to leverage a digital twin to create an immersive 3D virtual tour. Clients can explore every inch of the property from anywhere, at any time.
Matterport also offers innovative features like virtual staging, detailed property analytics, and schematic floor plans. With this kind of cutting-edge technology on your side, it’s easier than ever to market your expert services and upgrade your customer experience.
Examples of memorable customer experiences in real estate—thanks to digital twin technology
Innovative platforms like Matterport have made it easier than ever to level up your customer experience. To help agents what’s possible, check out these outstanding examples of organizations leveraging technology successfully.
Real Estate by Design (REBD)
The husband-and-wife team behind real estate firm REBD was committed to creating great customer experiences from day one. So, it was a no-brainer for them to partner up with Matterport to incorporate innovative technology into their listings and throughout the client journey.
They relied on Matterport’s digital twins to create immersive, 3D virtual tours of their properties. Now, clients could explore every inch of potential properties, and get a deep understanding of the flow of the space.
Once the REBD team implemented this tech, they said the positive results were easy to track and almost immediate.
“We saw results instantly within the first six months we tracked it. We saw our average days on market drop from 30 to 21 days. And our average sales price to list price jumped from about 93% to about 97% in that first six-month window,” says Jay Acker.
“We started to see people jumping at us to come out and do a listing presentation for them based on what they're seeing— and a big part of that's Matterport.
Clients can browse 3D tours on their own time, of course, but the REBD team also leverages virtual tours during in-person showings to take their customer experience to the next level. Jack said he carries an iPad with him to pull up 3D tours for other listings a client might like. They can walk through the virtual tour of other properties right there on the spot.
Jellis Craig
This real estate business out of Melbourne, Australia, already had a long-standing reputation for excellent customer experiences. And once Jellis Craig found out about Matterport’s digital twins and 3D tours from a local listing portal, they understood how the tools could further enhance their customer experience. No one locally was using Matterport technology at the time, so the team had found a major differentiator.
Not only did the virtual tours upgrade the customer experience for their listings, but the tech also led to the firm winning more listings and cutting annual operating expenses up to $200,000.
“Clients are amazed that the scans look exactly like the actual property,” says Marketing and Administration Coordinator Angela Ambrosino.
“No one is disappointed when they show up in person after viewing a virtual tour. Many of our landlords and prospective landlords chose to list with us because they wanted to offer the Matterport experience, and no other agency provided it.”
Amy Kite Team
The Amy Kite Team from the Chicagoland area experienced similar benefits when they adopted Matterport. They needed tools to differentiate them from competitors, drive more engagement with online listings, and increase market reach. Matterport’s portfolio marketing tools helped them improve their customer experience and meet those ambitious goals.
“Our navigable Matterport 3D models differentiate us from the competition as well as provide confidence to our agents and clients alike,” said Dan Bennett, Marketing and Systems Manager.
With digital twins incorporated into their listings, they cut their time to an offer in half (from 10-20 days down to 5-10 days). They also doubled their time on page metric for listings using Matterport digital twins.
Reach more customers with Matterport
Today's buyers and sellers are more informed than ever before—which is why today’s real estate professionals need to reinvent client and prospect experiences. Although clients know what they’re looking for, they also value an expert to guide them through the buying/selling process.
With the right tools and services, you can cater to your clients, market your expertise, and differentiate yourself from competitors to potential clients 24/7. That’s where Matterport’s suite of real estate marketing features can help.
Thanks to Matterport’s digital twin technology, you can offer the equivalent of a round-the-clock open house. Real estate agents can leverage these three-dimensional digital versions of properties to create beautiful virtual walkthroughs for their listings.
Virtual tours allow you to reach a broader audience—it’s easy to share a link to a walkthrough with your network to spread the word. This kind of remote experience also allows clients to view properties at their convenience. So, it’s no surprise that a recent study showed that virtual walkthroughs reduced the sales process by an average of 21 days.
The efficiency of this remote experience goes beyond making it easy for clients to view properties in their pajamas. Matterport makes it easy to capture all the assets you need—from HDR photos to schematic floor plans to a shareable intro video—in just one appointment. These listing features can help streamline business operations, including marketing your properties to showings and closing. And 74% of agents using Matterport win more listings.
Build a brand that creates client confidence by providing immersive, informational resources that make this major step in their lives memorable. Learn how Matterport can help by signing up for a demo today.
