Love her or hate her, everyone knows which A-List celebrity is sporting a new engagement ring this week. Her recent engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and album announcements are a fantastic lesson for real estate agents on how to create Taylor Swift-level client loyalty. After all, a well-recognized brand and repeat and referral business are the dream for most agents.
Swift’s fans are die-hard because they’re rewarded with what they love (fantastic music they sing and relate to), and they have a clearly defined relationship with everyone’s favorite Show Girl that her marketing team carefully crafts to ensure ongoing loyalty. It’s all about how she interacts with her fans.
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Real estate agents are constantly seeking the “secret sauce” that separates them from their competition and ensures a pipeline bubbling over with ready-to-go clients. Many agents fail by stressing about big wins and huge results, but top producers know that the small wins are the true ingredients.
So, how do you build a love story that will stand the test of time with your clients? It’s all about your reputation and how you consistently interact with your audience. I’ve trained and worked with top-producing agents in every type of market since 2005.
8 ways to create Taylor Swift-level client loyalty
If this has been a particularly cruel summer for your wallet, shake it off and take notes on the following eight ways that top agents build raving fans and lifetime referral partners.
1. They communicate and follow up
Every single one of these agents is accessible and responds quickly to messages, emails and phone calls. You don’t have to wonder what is going on with their transactions, because they ensure that every point of communication is covered. Their philosophy is simple: If they cannot answer the phone or reply, they either let you know when they can or they have an assistant who covers them.
These agents also inform you of their business hours and when they are on vacation. They provide clear instructions on how to obtain any information their clients and colleagues need to keep business moving forward.
They follow up, call repeatedly and know the value of read receipts. They’ve learned the hard way to have evidence if other parties read their communication, but do not respond.
How Taylor Swift does it
Communication is built into all parts of her relationship-building, and she engages with fans every chance she gets through social media, legacy media and well-thought-out marketing and branding campaigns.
She has turned small communications into big returns of engagement for her fans. If they are craving clues and information about what’s next, she always has Easter eggs in everything she does for audience engagement. She also keeps her word; if something new is coming, her audience knows and is ready to receive it.
2. Education is always happening
Each of these agents has invested in additional training, classes, certifications and designations to ensure they are experts in their field. You can find these agents in the classroom at least once a quarter. From tech training to understanding land management, these agents know more than the average bear, and their clients reap the benefits.
How Taylor Swift does it
Each song fits together like puzzle pieces in a quilt of her developing career. She is not afraid to try different genres, and she’s a stickler for making sure her tracks show personal growth and improvement with each new album. She could outsource much of her music-making to other experts, but she continues to be hands-on, writing her own music and learning new techniques to bring more value to her fans.
3. You ‘know’ them from their marketing
Career-long agents ensure that everyone has the opportunity to get to know them both online and in person. They have invested in marketing and a solid online presence to reach their target audience effectively. They make moments where they talk to the camera like it’s their best friend. They are professional and approachable, and that is their superpower.
How Taylor Swift does it
POTUS, your 6-year-old niece, your football fanatic uncle — they’re all talking about Taylor Swift right now. She’s is a household name, and everyone’s talking about her. You “know” her from her publicity, and both positive and negative press work in her favor. She’s built this persona since she was 14, slowly figuring out what gets people’s attention while building her fanbase through her talent.
4. They will try things other agents will not
Top-producing agents are often great explorers of marketing trends and are willing to try and fail, all in the pursuit of ensuring they don’t miss out on something that will give them the edge over their competition. This means they are not camera shy and are not afraid to try new programs or technologies.
How Taylor Swift does it
She doesn’t care if she isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. She also doesn’t care if she roasts exes in platinum hit songs for all eternity. She isn’t afraid to shake it off and move forward with her own plans, and the best agents are the same way. They know who they are, and they are not afraid to try new things.
5. They are ethical
Some agents facilitate transactions to close them, while others focus on building long-term relationships. The agents who develop relationships and adhere to ethical standards in their transactions will have lifelong referral clients.
Agents who are in the business long term know that building relationships will yield more future clients than any paid lead source. They also know that their word and their actions are their reputation, and they guard it carefully. In other words, what you see is what you get, and what you get is what all clients can expect.
How Taylor Swift does it
She is a master of righting wrongs and taking back what is her intellectual property. In other words, she is a stickler for the details of her business, and she is not afraid to call out those who are operating in unethical ways. In the end, she wins for holding her ground, even when it isn’t easy.
6. They’re consistent
Agents who have been in the business 20-plus years have specific practices that they follow every day, every week and every month. They are always looking for new business opportunities; they don’t care about their past performance.
What they care about is ensuring that their upcoming year looks like, and they are always looking forward, not backward. Success isn’t an option; it’s expected, and their biggest competition is themselves. They are not too worried about what other agents are doing; they have their own plans and are busy following through on them.
How Taylor Swift does it
She ensures there are sad ballads and great dance hits. There are always themes, colors and extras to every layer or version that she releases. She has mastered the art of repurposing content, making it a continuous process that keeps her marketing fresh, piques fans’ interests and moves her brand forward.
7. They love their community
Career standout agents are involved in their community. They are engaged in their associations. They support causes such as animal welfare, food pantries, schools and kids’ team sports.
They also attend their town and county meetings. These agents not only love selling real estate, but they also love the areas and folks that they work with. Being involved in their community is an essential strategy that they always make time for in their business.
How Taylor Swift does it
If her community needs her, she is there in big and small ways. She’s generous with her wealth and is mindful of her fame and the responsibilities that come with it. She’s donated $70,000 in books to her hometown library, helped a fan pay student loans, donated to New York City schools, and so much more.
8. They know what’s going on in the world
Successful agents are plugged into world, national, state and local events, and they care. They are familiar with their market statistics and are aware of developments in the legal arena. If they don’t know what is going on, they will seek out expert counsel to ensure they are informed. You do not have to tell these agents what is going on in the world. They have awareness.
How Taylor Swift does it
Taylor Swift does the same. If there is something that she feels called to weigh in on, like natural disasters, politics or current events, you will know her stance. She’ll be very candid in interviews and on social media.
If you want to build a business that creates Taylor Swift-level client loyalty, engagement and repeat business, you must be an active participant. You need to ensure that your audience not only has the chance to get to know you but also understands how you treat your clients and how you run your business.
The “secret sauce” is that you should love what you do, because that passion will keep stress at bay and bring opportunities your way. This is what Taylor Swift does in every moment of her career.
The reason many agents fail in the business is that they compromise or don’t follow through on one or more of these eight skills. There are no shortcuts; the proof is in the individuals who consistently show up and stand out in their local market.
Rachael Hite is a senior housing counselor, writer, and thought leader in real estate and aging. Follow her work on Instagram and LinkedIn.