Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amber Batten. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amber, appreciate you joining us today. Can you recount a time when the advice you provided to a client was really spot on?

Owning a home is the financial answer to wealth and stability. Whether your a first-time home buyer, or have purchased many homes, the process may or may not be the same. That’s why it’s always imperative to find a realtor with experience, knowledge and proper negotiating skills. We’ve worked with a considerable amount of first-time home buyers. Many times, clients will have an idea of what they need to be aware of, but do they really know?

We worked with a client recently who was wanting to purchase his first home and wasn’t exactly sure where he needed to start, or what really he needed to do. We advised him that talking to a lender and getting pre-approved was the first step. Consider this: the area of homes you’re interested in is like a fishing pond. Without the fishing pole (or pre-approval letter), it’s nearly impossible to catch a bait (or a home). Luckily, we’re partnered with a direct-endorsement mortgage lender who always serves our clients with exceptional service and care.

Now that the financials were addressed, it’s time to go fishing!

We advised our client that we recommend he see many homes across many different locations of Tampa Bay. This ensures that home buyers are able to understand what they may favor, or dislike, about certain styled homes in different price points. We always inform clients of what they’re monthly payment would look like for a specific home of interest, ultimately educating them along the way. Because we focus so much on education, we love to see the input and calculations they’re already making on their own when viewing more homes. The student then becomes the expert.

Our client was so grateful of all of the information he gathered, and even told us how differently he looks at the market today.

Amber, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The Florida Real Estate Family, brokered by eXp Realty, is a father-daughter duo specializing in residential and commercial properties in Tampa Bay and Surrounding areas. We’re a combined 32+ years experience, gathering decades of real estate knowledge and new-aged marketing and selling techniques. Ron has been a realtor since the 90’s and has made his way across Tampa Bay as being one of the top producers and top 10% in the state. Amber graduated with a degree in marketing and advertising and decided to join forces with Ron to create a real estate powerhouse partnership.

One thing we’ve learned in this business is that with hard work and discipline, you can achieve your goals. While doing this, some of your goals can reach far beyond you could ever imagine.

Making clients ‘specialists’ in the home buying/selling process is something we thrive on as a partnered realtor relationship. We ensure them that our common goal is to help them find the right home with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We understand that we’re dealing with people’s livelihoods and we treat each client as family, always supporting them even in the toughest situations.

We’ve had many clients tell us that some of the experiences they’ve had with realtors were unfavorable and like their best interest wasn’t in mind. Instead, we try to reshape and rebuild past experiences clients have had by devoting our expertise and hard work. In turn, we also feel grateful for making sure each client was properly taken care of.

It’s very rewarding to help someone find their home sweet home, if it’s forever or even just temporary. That’s what drives the Florida Real Estate Family, and that’s what keeps us moving everyday.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media can either be a very tricky, or very easy thing, to accomplish depending how you attack it. It seems as if trends are changing daily and if you’re not “in the know,” then you’re completely lost.

(Amber) With my marketing background, it was definitely a bit easier for me to dive into the social media world. People don’t necessarily want to see only infographics on their feed, and while it is beneficial information, people crave authenticity.

They want to see homes that you’ve toured (especially luxury), they want to know what you’re doing, what quick tips can you share, what’s going on with the market, what are the interest rates like, etc. We’re all also humans, so they want to see your life and how you choose to enjoy the area you live in. Creativity plays a huge role in separating yourself from the competition, and new ideas for content are always welcomed.

My best advice is to identify a clear marketing strategy, for example: “I want to attract more buyers/sellers.”

Start by establishing brand colors and themes. Canva is a great way to play around with templates, fonts, and elements and is provided at a low cost for PRO features. The best thing to remember is to always, always, always be consistent and plan your content ahead of time.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

We’ve come to realize, especially in this day and age, that maintaining an efficient CRM for clients is imperative when building a business. People can find a realtor anywhere, but why should they choose you?

By having a well-maintained database with recurring communication, you’re ensuring continued business with past clients. They may want to sell that house you sold them 15 years ago, or they may even have a referral to send you. Ron has had client relationships for 20+ years that still call him for random home maintenance tips, if they need a specific vendor, or if they’re thinking of selling and buying again. Networking and staying connected is a vital part to the real estate business and any new realtors who are still trying to figure out where to begin, should definitely start there.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.FLARealEstateFam.net
• Instagram: @ambersellstampa
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FLARealEstateFamily

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