We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aliana Stafford a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Aliana, appreciate you joining us today. Have you ever seen (or implemented) a really awesome way to show a client you appreciate them
I always make it my top priority to be an advocate for my clients. The first step in the process is to listen. Listening to your clients desires, concerns, expectations, and reservations is critical in understanding how to be a good advocate. I prioritize my clients needs and go above and beyond to be ensure that those needs are met. You have to be “about that action”!
I recently have to battle back and forth on a deal to ensure my client got the terms they were comfortable with. There was a bit of haggling and negotiation, but in the end I ensured my clients were secure with the agreed upon terms. To me a successful Realtor is one whose clients hold them in high regards.
The greatest tool for showing appreciation is gratitude. I always complete client interactions with a thank you gift. A token of gratitude goes a long way.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a Louisiana native that transplanted to Houston directly from college. I am a proud graduate of the Historically Black College (HBCU) Southern University. I obtained my Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and have used it to help navigate a successful career in sales. I began my real estate career in 2021 after 7 successful years working in the high fashion industry. I pride myself in relationship building and creating impactful interactions. In addition to being an advocate and executing smooth Real Estate transactions for my clients; I also provide knowledge to inexperienced homebuyers via my “First Time Homebuyers” classes. I use this opportunity connect with the community while offering value. It warms my heart to be able to help my fellow Americans along their journey to achieve the American dream of home ownership.
I think what sets me apart from the norm is my dedication, versatility, and social presence. I pride myself on my social media pesence and my ability to influence. I enjoy blogging/vlogging about real estate and lifestyle content. I cover topics in regard to fashion, decor, real estate, and Houston hot spots. My content can be found on YouTube (Labels and Life TV) and Instagram (@labelsandlife and @aliana_sellinghouston) Feel free to follow and subscribe, I’d love for us to connect!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I choose to pivot from a career in high end retail to real estate post pandemic. As with most industries the pandemic greatly affected the high end retail market. I choose to pivot to real estate because of my years of success in sales. I knew that if I could apply my strategy to being a Realtor I would carve out a great deal of success for myself. It was a scary yet rewarding decision that I am glad I made.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
I find that being active and visible is the most effective strategy in growing clientele. Social media can be a great tool marketing. I find that cultivating a great social media presence has greatly increased my visibility. Posting quality and engaging content works to help me garner support. I am also very active and social in real life. I find that networking events can help to meet like minded professionals and potential clients. Im also pretty chatty and make it a point to intentionally engage with people during my normal daily activities (gym, shopping, bars, etc).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alianastafford.garygreene.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliana_sellinghouston/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alianasellinghouston
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliana-stafford-898988169/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfSw72oa9MRXpT9oQvAvdsw
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/labelsandlife/