The pandemic experience has brought in a change in about every aspect of our lives. It has changed the outlook on life and living. Every industry, small or big was impacted by the pandemic, the real estate industry was probably one of the worst affected.

“Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity an even greater one." This adversity taught the real estate industry to look inward and innovate. Real estate owners and operators across almost every asset class are considering several potential longer-term effects of the coronavirus outbreak and the required changes that these shifts are likely to bring.

Evolution of real estate market post-COVID:

Taking the digital leap is one of the significant development post covid. Real estate businesses have started investing in digital sales and leasing processes — using virtual open houses and showings; augmented and virtual reality, and Omni channel, targeted, and personalized sales thereby creating a differentiated experience

Creating a differentiated experience will necessarily involve a suite of digital-first products and experiences: telehealth, on-demand delivery and concierge services, virtual communities, contactless access for residents, guests, and maintenance staff, and much more. As more users adopt these digital-first products and services, users’ expectations will be raised, and players that provide a differentiated post-crisis experience will stay ahead of the curve.

Another essential element to staying ahead of the curve is providing great customer service.

Customer service is crucial to any business’ functioning, let alone its success. Customer service is not one size fits all, it works differently for different businesses, but good customer service always works.

Aspects of Customer Service:

Positive first impressions:  Strive to create a positive first impression. A seamless viewing experience will help continue to make a great first impression and attract high-quality residents.

Provide personalized, tech-enabled customer service: Use of the best property management software tools is used to make schedules faster and more accurate. 

Listening: Active listening is one of the most important skills in customer service.  Understand the comments and concerns to provide valuable feedback and solutions.

Responsiveness.  Responsiveness shows respect and courtesy, the two pillars of great customer service.  Even if a solution cannot be provided immediately, it is always better to acknowledge the tenant’s needs as soon as possible. The tenant will appreciate being kept in the loop about the status of their concern

Accommodate. Proactively resolving the customer’s complaints will go a long way in providing good customer service.

Open Communication: Communicating transparently with the customers. Build strong relationships by focusing on transparent, personalized communication, and providing the information that they want.

Cost-effective upgrades, managing maintenance and construction will go a long way in providing great customer service.

It’s imperative to provide good customer service as it plays a substantial role in tenant retention and reducing turnover. Turnovers are a difficult cost for the landlord to handle. In addition to this, disgruntled customers can spread their negative experiences through online reviews, dealing a severe blow to their reputation, thus hurting the business.

Customer service is the most crucial link between customer experience and real estate development. It is necessary to ensure that this crucial link does not become the weakest link as it would affect the business more than all other factors combined.

This article is authored by Freejo Francis as part of CMtoday’s Expert Talk series. Freejo Francis is a Community & Association Management Specialist and CAIME Board member for Middle East Chapter. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.