Option A - A candlelit 5 course gourmet dinner, each featuring a wine pairing and served in the private dinning area overlooking the moonlit Bay with good ol' Sam the pianist playing your favorite melodies, all evening long.
Option B - A Burger, cooked in yesterday's animal lard and accompanied with a crispy (some would call it burned) basket of home fries complete with a vintage 32 oz tub of the finest soda, this side of Atlanta ready in 2 min and 39 seconds.
If you're like me, I've been often lured by the self-serve convenience, economics and immediate gratification to my belly from Option B. If you're also like me, it's not too long after the grease session that you come to realize the longer term impact of "super-sizing".
No, I'm not taking dinner orders here. Nor have I confused this blog entry with one meant for the Food Network.
The analogy I'm drawing here is that of a Full Service versus Discount/On-line Service.
The challenge of being a successful full service Realtor will ultimately require you to thoughtfully develop a comprehensive set of value propositions that you plan to offer your prospective clients. Like the successful restauranteur, you will need to set out a detailed customer-service action plan...from the time they make reservations to the time their napkins are fluffed up, to the time they are escorted to the door at the end of the evening and to the time you send out a mail-out thanking them for their patronage. Every detail counts.
Don't be too concerned with those thrifty, impatient clients who are looking for their next quick grease fix who are opting for FSBO's Burget Pit. It's the valuable client base that you want. Rumours of delivering quality value-added service usually spreads quickly, brings valuable customers in the door and often back for seconds.
Welcome to Chez Realtor
Buon Appetite!