Ways to Educate Your Clients
Louisiana REALTORS • March 2, 2020
Knowledge is power. This is why education, training, and continuing education opportunities are so important. The skills learned through these experiences and lessons are invaluable and they provide the tools necessary to offer the best service possible for your clients. However, education is just as important for your clients as it is for you. The process of buying or selling a house is a complicated one. The ins and outs can become quickly confusing; it is your job as their fiduciary, their representative, to teach and communicate what they should expect. Here are a few things that can help you be a professional, knowledgeable REALTOR® that can help educate your clients.
Whether you have a first-time home buyer, a repeat customer, or a referral, an educated client can quickly become a much more valuable client. It all begins with the road map that navigates the real estate transaction system.
Begin by Removing Fears
There are a variety of unknowns when it comes to buying and selling a house. By explaining the process from pre-approval to closing, you can mitigate many of these fears. For buyers, referring your clients to a trusted loan officer, to helping them understand their budget, to finding the right location can help to make this a smooth process.
Set Expectations
For sellers, setting expectations in terms of preparation, timing, and price can go a long way in making for a smoother process. Presenting comparable values, explaining your marketing plan, and understanding your seller’s motivation and situation, can help to define the reasonable expectations for their sale.
Communicate Your Goals
When you can relay what your expectations, intentions, and goals are as a REALTOR®, you can clearly explain how you intend to do business with your clients. From point A to point B and beyond, providing a clear picture of how you handle each of your clients and the strategies you believe in will provide both peace of mind, as well as accountability. It will be clear what your clients expect from you, and what you will be held accountable for.
Please join us in congratulating the Louisiana REALTORS® who have been appointed to NAR committees for 2027. A total of 26 Louisiana REALTORS® members and staff have been selected to serve on NAR committees for the upcoming year. Bill Boyd - Insurance Committee; Member: Regional Representative Luke Bullock - Broker Engagement Committee; Member: Government Affairs Director Donna Chandler - Membership Policy and Board Jurisdiction Committee; Member: At-Large Keary Coffin - Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee; Member: At-Large Tony Cornner - Housing Opportunities Committee; Member: State Representative Beth Cristina - Commercial Federal Policy Committee; Member: At-Large Deneka Desroches - Commitment to Excellence Committee; Member: At-Large Cindy Dyer - RPAC Participation Council; Member: State Representative David Favret - Meeting and Conference Committee; Member: Immediate Past Chair Jennifer Hebert - Professional Standards Committee; Member: At-Large Carole Horn - RPAC Trustees Federal Disbursement Committee; Member: Regional Representative Misty Ingersoll - Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee; Member: State Representative Angela Lavalais - AEC/Association IDEAS Advisory Board (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Support); Member: At-Large Trish Leleux - FPC Advisory Committee; Member: State Representative Marbury Little - Public Policy Coordinating Committee; Member: At-Large ; Consumer Advocacy Outreach Advisory Board; Member: Committee Representative Ginger Maulden - RPAC Major Investor Council; Member: State Representative Andrea McKey - Strategic Planning Committee; Member: At-Large David McKey - Insurance Committee; Member: At-Large Joe Mier - Real Property Valuation Committee; Member: At-Large Norman Morris - Meeting and Conference Committee; AEC Representative Danette O'Neal - Land Use Property Rights and Environment Committee; Member: Affiliate Representative Austin Polk - Business Issues Policy Committee; Member: At-Large Rhonda Reap-Curiel - Data Strategies Committee; Vice Chair Matt Ritchie - Finance Committee; Member: At-Large Erika Sluss - Membership Policy and Board Jurisdiction Committee; Member: State Representative Evelyn Wolford - Professional Standards Committee; Member: State Representative
From the Louisiana Department of Insurance: Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple joined Governor Jeff Landry and Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Kirk Talbot today to announce that Louisiana is investing an additional $20 million in Fortified homes, bringing the total amount invested in state Fortified projects this year to $100 million. Governor Landry announced that $20 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be transferred to the Louisiana Office of Community Development Restore Resilient Opportunities for Overhead Fortification (Restore ROOF) program to strengthen residential structures and reduce long-term disaster risk. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bill that allows $50 million in additional Katrina and Rita bond money from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to be added to the Department of Insurance’s Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP). Also beginning this year, LFHP is projected to receive approximately $30 million annually from taxes and fees the Louisiana Department of Insurance collects from the insurance industry. “Building stronger homes is a vital part of making homeowners insurance affordable in Louisiana,” said Commissioner Temple. “I appreciate Governor Landry’s leadership and support as we work with legislators like Chairman Talbot to make Louisiana a national leader in the adoption of Fortified roofs.” The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) has finalized its promulgation of Regulation 136—Fortify Homes Premium Discounts. The purpose of Regulation 136 is to implement the statutory provisions set forth in La. R.S. 22:1483, et seq. , which require that all Louisiana property and casualty insurers provide premium discounts or insurance rate reductions for homes constructed or upgraded in accordance with the fortified standards created by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. View Regulation 136 here .
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