Everyone is at least doubtful when facing a blank sheet – or screen. Personal communications are complicated. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start, how to put into words what we want to say, and how to be interesting enough to obtain what we intended. But there’s an etiquette we can use in our favor, and Michael Gefteas is here to help us out!

At his webinar at Real Estate IQ, “REI business basics and professionalism,” the experienced real estate investor shared some insights regarding etiquette to improve emails, texts, and messages in general. Why? Well, because every contact with potential, current, or formal buyers and sellers is an opportunity to win (or lose) them.

No matter how trivial an SMS could look or how unimportant your clothes may seem when door-knocking, everything that surrounds you communicates. And if all that you are, do, and wear says something, why not leverage it?

Present yourself as to how you want to be seen. And this includes your appearance, sure, but also your social media presence, your profile picture, your writing. People will judge you based on photos, looks, and even grammar, whether you like it or not. Every aspect of communication is judged by others.

Michael Gefteas, real estate investor

As you can see, your soft skills turn out to have quite a significant role in your success. So, to work on them, the expert shared nine effective etiquette rules to improve your online and offline presence. But before that, he warned attendees not to forget the most crucial thing of all: integrity. “Integrity is everything. This is a very small industry, and word gets around. So, you’d want to do right by the sellers, by your buyers. You’ll be more successful that way because you’ll have recurring customers, and above all, you’ll have a good reputation.”

9 effective etiquette rules to communicate

Exploit every approach to potential buyers or sellers with these nine tips:

1. Don’t use a script when talking to sellers – According to Gefteas, having a script is not the best way to succeed. Though it may give you some confidence, you’ll sound like you’re reading from a script, and people will see right through you. The investor advised taking only the pointers from different experts that work for you.
2. Be prepared when you go on appointments – Carry a business bag with all the necessary (and unnecessary) papers you might need: contracts, copies, business cards. It’s better to have them and not use them than lose a deal because you weren’t prepared. “I even take a flashlight, chapstick, wipes, and Lysol spray with me,” he revealed.
3. Write proper emails – This is general advice and covers many things that will make you look professional:
   1. Personalize your email address, don’t use Gmail.
   2. Use professional names consistent with both your brand and your name.
   3. Don’t use the “info” alias; it sounds impersonal and informal.
   4. Use proper grammar and avoid phone abbreviations (yes, this includes correct punctuation).
   5. Have an email signature.
   6. Don’t email with no information asking for information (announce who you are first, and remind people about what you talked about before).
   7. Don’t make an offer first, and then do due diligence.
4. Empty your notifications – Don’t let messages pile up. You need to operate at the speed of business.
5. When texting, use paragraphs – This etiquette rule seems silly but could save you from endless notifications. Don’t text after each sentence; try to hit send as little as possible. And once again, don’t forget to announce who you are first.
6. Mean what you say – A partner is a partner; a commitment is a commitment. Don’t use words loosely.
7. Follow up but don’t stalk – Give people time to answer you before reaching out again.
8. Don’t lock photos – If you’re sending pictures of a property, do it unlock without passwords.
9. Don’t spam – This etiquette rule includes three different items. First, don’t be a scraper (someone who searches the web looking for email addresses). It’s illegal in many cases and violates the terms and services of email providers. Build your buyer’s list organically, instead. Second, abide by the law and respect the terms of service of your email provider. And lastly, don’t over email. “It’s a balancing act; you need to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t,” Gefteas recapped.

Key takeaways

Communication is a tricky business. Sometimes it might look like it’s easy, or it’s a natural thing, so people tend to not pay too much attention to it. However, we rarely consider that everything we do (and don’t) says something about ourselves. The minute we introduce ourselves to other people, they unconsciously pick up every piece of information available to come up with a first impression. And that often sets the tone of the conversation.

Therefore, knowing this beforehand allows you to work on your presentation, polish how you approach people and do your best to create a favorable first impression. Gefteas etiquette tips are precious since they point to a place to start. Now, it’s time to put all these in motion!

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Disclaimer: The blog articles are intended for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing in the content is designed to be legal or financial advice.

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