Building and maintaining strong client relationships is key to long-term success as a real estate agent. At the heart of every successful relationship is an agent’s ability to position themselves as a trusted advisor and create value that is tailored to each individual client’s needs.
The selection of books below was curated to help you do just that, whether you’re an experienced agent or just starting out.
1. Ninja Selling: Subtle Skills. Big Results. by Larry Kendall
Written for real estate professionals, Ninja Selling breaks down author Larry Kendall’s science-based selling system, designed to help agents build strong, long-term relationships and create a continuous flow of referrals and repeat clients.
Kendall’s philosophy rejects pushy sales tactics for a system that works for agents of all personality types, following four basic principles: Master yourself, your mind, your emotions and your energy. His consultative approach is designed to train agents to focus their energy and skills on providing value and being of service to their clients vs. simply closing the deal. At the end of the day, it’s all about listening to your customer and helping them achieve their goals.
Purchase Ninja Selling from a local bookstore near you.
“Ninja Selling is about asking the right questions to determine the customer’s pain and pleasure and then offering a solution if you have one. As you perfect your questioning and listening skills, you’ll discover ways to offer solutions for needs (pain) and wants (pleasure) that customers didn’t even know they had.” —Larry Kendall, Ninja Selling
2. Setting the Table: Lessons and Inspirations from One of the World’s Leading Entrepreneurs by Danny Meyer
Setting the Table is an insightful look into the philosophy behind Danny Meyer’s hugely successful empire. The best-selling book is packed with useful takeaways for anyone who interacts with people, but is especially helpful for those who work in customer-centric roles, such as real estate agents. Says Triplemint VP of Sales Molly Townsend, “This book should be mandatory training for anyone who works in sales, customer service, or on cross functional teams.”
Looking at your real estate business from a hospitality mindset can change how you view everything from your interactions with clients to how you present yourself on social media. Meyer emphasizes that offering hospitality is far different from simply offering service, and the goal at the end of the day is to make the customer genuinely feel that you are working on their behalf for the best possible outcome—which is paramount when it comes to a decision as important as buying or selling a home.
Purchase Setting the Table from a local bookstore near you.
“In the end, what’s most meaningful is creating positive, uplifting outcomes for human experiences and human relationships. Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It’s that simple, and it’s that hard.” —Danny Meyer, Setting the Table
3. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
One of the best-selling books of all time, How to Win Friends and Influence People is filled with valuable lessons about human interaction, covering everything from how to motivate people to the often overlooked importance of remembering someone’s name.
The book is divided into four segments: fundamental techniques in handling people; ways to make people like you; how to win people to your way of thinking; and how to change people without giving offense or arousing resentment. Each segment includes powerful examples that can be used by real estate agents at all levels to help them be more effective in their relationships—and ultimately in their careers.
Purchase How to Win Friends and Influence People from a local bookstore near you.
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming genuinely interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” —Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People
When it comes to real estate, there is a direct correlation between the extent to which you can get others to like and trust you and the volume of business you do.
Emphasized in each of the books above, prioritizing building trust over making the sale signals to your buyer or seller that you understand their needs, challenges, and quality of life they aspire to have. Beyond setting a strong foundation for a lasting relationship, this approach will inspire the confidence they need to make the very investment that helps your real estate business thrive.
