Managing Client Stress as a Real Estate Professional

It’s 4:15 p.m. on Friday and your client is on the proverbial ledge about the inspection happening next week. They need to know every detail about the process and want reassurance that it will all go according to “The Plan.” Lucky them. That’s because you, as their fiduciary, know exactly what to say to ease their fears.

Managing a client’s stress is part of being a great real estate agent, but how do you actually do it? It all starts with the first conversation.

The Promise

When a client signs an exclusive agreement with you, you are signing up for more than just a transaction. You are promising to deliver results and a more-than-satisfactory experience. Part of that experience is bringing knowledge and skills to the table the client doesn’t have. So, lay it out for them. Make a checklist of every step along the way so they know what to expect. You are the expert, and they are looking to you for guidance — give it to them in the form of a tangible list with all the important steps outlined and explained. This checklist will take the guesswork out of the process for them and alleviate some of the panicked calls you might receive.

Emotional Intelligence 

Keeping emotions in check during a high-stress situation, like selling or buying one of someone’s biggest assets, is a hard task. Whether it’s the client’s very first home or their fifth, they can feel a lot of emotions. Part of the experience an agent should provide is a safe place to express those emotions. Carly Fox explains in Emotional Intelligence - A Workplace Necessity:

 “People with high emotional intelligence look within and beyond themselves, and are primed to the emotions, reactions, and communication styles of other people. They are sensitive to verbal and nonverbal cues, the more subtle aspects of communication, and understand that their words, actions, and behaviors impact other people.” 

Watching for slight changes in facial expressions and body language when touring with a client can pay dividends. Picking up on their slight discomfort when you show them that tiny en-suite can save you lots of time in the long run. While we’re not advocating for an agent to act as a client’s therapist, leading with empathy and emotional intelligence are key in keeping a client for life.

Encourage Self-Care

Self-care is more than bubble baths and meditation, it’s taking care of your whole self from the inside out. It is a way to help manage internal and external stressors — like a looming property inspection or an emotional rollercoaster of changing school districts. Encouraging a client to take stock of their self-care routine will show empathy and understanding in a way they probably won’t expect. Remember that checklist we mentioned? How about incorporating a list of recommended self-care techniques for the different stages of the transaction? Suggest a daily leisurely walk at the offer stage, or maybe a family game night after the first open house. This is a chance to surprise and delight your clients with a holistic approach to their experience with you as their agent. 

Honesty is the Only Policy

Setting honest expectations at the very beginning of your relationship with the client is a policy every agent should have. A checklist will go a long way in setting expectations around the transaction, but what happens when things go sideways? You may have to have a tough conversation — and avoiding that tough conversation can just compound stress for both parties.

“Fierce Conversations author Susan Scott believes people get to the heart of their problems by learning to be honest with themselves and with those around them through frank, honest, and real conversation. She defines fierce conversation as those in which we get out of our heads and come into the conversation and make it real.”

While having a fierce conversation is a stressful event, not having it only makes things worse in the long run and alleviating client stress is the goal.

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