Life balance is essential for great service

In a world that is crying out for more human connection and real interactions, we feel very privileged to know just how much difference a caring and empathetic approach can make to the whole process of selling or buying a home - which is a very stressful experience for most people.

We receive feedback daily telling us just how good our agents are at taking the time to understand their customers' specific needs and expectations, devising innovative and individual solutions, and negotiating with patience and respect for all parties.

They also love the fact that if we mess up, as all humans do from time-to-time, we not only take responsibility for our mistakes but will all pitch in as a team (including our top management) to remedy them as quickly and thoroughly as possible.     

And it is becoming increasingly clear just how much value customers attach to this approach of not being too attached to our own opinions to really listen and try to build real relationships with our customers. For us, those connections are at the centre of every transaction and that is manifested not just in good reviews but in the many referrals we get and in our high levels of repeat business.

Of course, we love technology and what it can do to streamline the many administrative and legal aspects of property sales, purchases and rentals, and to ensure that our agents have the best and latest market information at their fingertips. But we have always maintained that it is no substitute for a capable, caring agent who customers feel they can really rely on to help them and act in their best interests.

In short, customers may be happy with automated responses and online transactions when it comes to buying standard goods or services, but when it comes to real estate, people like to do business with people, and more specifically, with people, they have come to know and trust.

However, we also appreciate that being so available to customers and so close to their emotional highs and lows as they go through real estate transactions can take a huge toll on agents and on their energy resources, leading to a sense of overwhelm and being unable to focus, think creatively or take good care of themselves.

So this is very much my current focus and that of the leaders in our company: firstly making sure that all our people know that we really care about their physical, family, financial and mental well-being just as much as we care about how they treat customers, and secondly making sure that we provide the resources, encouragement and a safe environment for them to achieve and maintain their well-being.

This involves promoting a healthy lifestyle including regular exercise, a balanced diet and time outdoors; helping agents to set realistic goals around work hours, rest and time to spend with their families; providing access to counselling, mentoring or any other support services that agents may need; helping agents to plan and manage their finances; and providing regular training and personal development opportunities to help agents keep on top of the latest industry trends and techniques.

We know that this is not the usual approach in real estate companies, but we also know very well the benefits of being a company that cares. And we want agents to know that they can trust us to support them every bit as much as their customers trust them.