Most agents are perfectly credible and trustworthy, but even so, they face a big issue. In an industry that many people distrust since it is paid on commission, proving credibility and improving the collective image is hard. This is particularly true for smaller brokerages that might not have the power of franchise brands to back up their marketing message.
So the question is what makes a local business trustworthy in the eyes of its prospective customers? What could help these businesses get more customers and what could put people off?
The team at Paychex surveyed 1,000 people to find out what factors would encourage them to vote in favor of a local business and what exactly trust means from their perspective. The results and conclusions are very practical and down-to-earth and could help you on the road to building a credible brokerage. Let’s take a closer look.
Building a credible brokerage
1) Customer acquisition
Nearly 36% of people say they are less likely to sign up with a small business that doesn’t have a website.
At the same time, it’s important to remember that setting up a website is just the first step in a strong and professional online presence. What could really make all the difference is website promotion and optimization so it ranks well and is found by both people and search engines.
Source: Paychex
2) Building trust with would-be customers
For prospective customers, proof of an agent’s business acumen manifests itself in the industry education and experience. Take a look at what people think with regards to this:
Source: Paychex
3) Does the number of agents in the brokerage impact trust?
It seems that it does and most people would like to see more people employed by a small business:
Source: Paychex
4) How does business owner demographics impact trust?
Age and gender have some impact on trust. For example, female business owners are trusted more by both men and women and people prefer to buy from business owners their own age and generation (the exception is Gen X):
Source: Paychex
What’s next?
A real estate brokerage doesn’t have to be big to prove that it’s trustworthy. Invest in your online presence, show yourself to be an expert locally, create unique marketing and brand materials, and employ dedicated staff to expertly help your clients every step of the way.
