In my career as a real estate agent, I’ve learned how to have great communication to build relationships with my clients and understand that they NEED a home with a red carpet. I’ve had to quickly think and problem solve when during the final walkthrough, the day before closing, a pipe busted right in front of me and the buyer’s eyes. I’ve become a personable person in order to get the guy wanting to buy the mansion in town to like me. I’ve had to completely understand the process of real estate, and everything about houses so I can answer questions my clients may have in a snap. I thought I was a Real Estate Agent - but am I actually a Customer Success Agent!?
During my first week of Praxis, a college alternative that I wholeheartedly love, we learned about customer success. As each mouse wheel spin led me down the blogs I began to understand — I’m a customer success agent.
Let me explain. Customer success is a part of a company, a crucial one, that helps the customer use the company's product to its fullest potential. Engaging with the customer, the customer success agent builds relationships with the customers. They understand problems, then helps the customer and uses this experience to create solutions so this problem does not occur again.
How does a customer success agent do this you may ask? It begins with great communication skills and being personable. Being personable is important, as without this skill you’re closing the door to effective communication. Then having the skill of communication is important as this is how you will learn of the customer’s problems.
This sounds familiar, as these are the beginning skills of a real estate agent. I need to be personable, allowing the customer to feel at ease and talk to me as a friend. This opens the door to effective communication, so I can understand their needs and problems for a house.
Customer success agents think quickly and critically to help customers solve their problems. They then communicate their experience and ideas to other departments, such as marketing or sales, to solve the issue. Resulting in the problem not happening to other future customers again.
As a real estate agent, I think quickly and critically on the daily to solve problems. Everything from agents or lenders not following through, buyers not liking something after signing a contract, and more. I then use these experiences to make sure they never happen again in the future. Thus, resulting in a more positive experience for everyone. #customersuccess.
Customer success agents completely understand the product and the customer, as do I. Customer success agents need to be able to quickly communicate effectively, ditto. Customer success agents make happy customers which drives renewals and more business, which is exactly what we do as real estate agents as well!
Customer success is a big part of being a real estate agent, and I think being a good real estate agent means being a good customer success agent. With this realization - I’m going to go watch some customer success videos now!
Chase Taake
