For most agents, the current “new normal” lifestyle of staying home and only venturing out for essentials has been a totally radical change. Agents and Brokers are some of the most well-connected members of the community and the sudden halt of drop-bys, coffee meetings, open houses, and networking events has been a shock to the system personally and professionally. Our team has curated 7 ways you can support and connect with your community in the era of social distancing.
1. TP your neighborhood, but in a useful way
By now we all know about the hot item of the season. Hard to believe, but it seems like everyone’s talking about toilet paper! At home, with properly washed hands, assemble a bunch of TP rolls with a note attached to them. The note should indicate your interest in giving back to the community. Try something like this:
“I am your neighbor and our neighborhood’s REALTOR®/Agent — The real estate market is slow right now, so I wanted to serve the community differently. If you know of any seniors or immunocompromised neighbors who need some extra help with shopping, please pass my info along to them."
When you go out to TP your neighborhood, knock or ring the bell with your elbow, and make sure to stand well away from the door (10-15’ back) as many people are hesitant to open up these days. Or if you’d prefer, just doorbell ditch and leave a note with the TP.
2. Help a local coffee shop or restaurant
You have certainly heard that local small businesses need help now to keep the lights on and keep their employees paid. If you have a particular coffee shop where you normally meet clients, call them and place an order for some fresh roasted beans to deliver to your clients. (If you’re concerned about spending money, you can also make this a “campaign” where your clients pay the coffee shop directly and you provide delivery.) If you have a favorite restaurant, order a stack of gift cards and mail them to your clients with a note filled with well-wishes for them and the restaurant. Ask them to pay it forward by purchasing a gift card from their favorite restaurant, if they can.
3. Host a video call with a local nursery or garden center
Spring is still the best time of year for planting, and it’s a great activity for weekends at home! Many nurseries and garden centers have set up a curbside pickup service. Connect with a master gardener from your local nursery and host a group video conference. Invite your clients for some pointers and best practices for spring gardening. You can then act as courier and pick up your clients’ orders and drop them off at their homes.
4. Host virtual yoga
Most fitness instructors have abruptly found themselves without work as well. Connect with your favorite instructor and offer to pay a flat fee for a group yoga session. Invite your clients over a Zoom meeting; set it up so the instructor sees everyone, but they only see the instructor. (This can also work via facebook live or YouTube live). If it’s a success, host once a week or connect clients with the instructor for virtual one-on-one training sessions.
5. Host virtual "paint & sip" event
Find a local "paint & sip" (sometimes known as Canvas & Cabernet, Pinot's Palette, Wine & Paint) shop and ask them to host an event for your clients virtually. Organize it by having clients sign-up in advance and pay a nominal fee for supplies. You can deliver supplies to each client in advance and open a Zoom meeting for the instructor to lead the lesson (the host is visible and other participants are hidden). At the end of the call, change the Zoom setup so everybody can share their art (and wine!) with each other.
6. Curate resources for families (online reading / music sources)
One glance at your facebook feed and you’ll find dozens of popular videos hosted by teachers, librarians, or even celebrities reading children’s books or leading online art classes. There are also virtual tours of historic landmarks and famous museums available to experience. Take a deep dive and curate a list of the best or most popular videos to deliver to parents who suddenly find themselves working from home. They may not have the time to sift through the noise and find the top videos to keep their kiddos engaged and learning, and will welcome the fact you’ve done the heavy lifting for them.
7. Educate clients' kids - organize virtual career day
Students are trying to get used to distance learning, which is a challenge. Many popular school-related activities like field trips have fallen by the wayside as well. As mentioned above, many famous museums can be toured online now. Use the network of connections that you have as a connector in the community to coordinate a virtual career day for the kids at a school near you. Partner with one of the teachers to set up a housing-related career day. Invite a home inspector, general contractor, accountant, attorney, lender, pest inspector, and interior designer. And of course, share your experience of a day in the life of a REALTOR®/Agent. This can work for a variety of age groups, just make sure you and your fellow presenters know which age group you will be speaking to ahead of time and adjust the message accordingly.
Curating these experiences for your clients will take time and effort, but will be well worth it when they remember what you’ve done for them during a difficult situation. Automate some things to provide top-notch customer service and wow your clients by using Clozio’s tools. Streamline your transactions so you can spend your valuable time with your clients, not your inbox. Register now!
Reading recommendation: 6 simple (and free) reminders for connecting with your clients in the coronavirus era
Matt Ross
