3 ZIP Codes, 2 Rules, 1 Island: A Case Study in Setting the Customer Service Bar

If baseball is a game of inches, real estate is a game of seconds — especially in Manhattan. As a former rental agent, John Jourden knew that gaining or losing an available property came down to whichever agent wielded the fastest cellphone.

When Jourden started selling real estate, he applied the same “move fast” principle to returning a contact’s phone call. If he couldn’t take a call right away, his rule was to get them back on the phone within seconds, not minutes. Jourden likes to cite this example: A lead left him a voice mail, hung up, and stood up to stretch — as he did so, Jourden returned the call.

In keeping with his “timing is everything” philosophy, Jourden also makes it a rule to regularly ask his clients for reviews. Building his personal brand on Zillow was a priority from the start, so Jourden works hard to earn a happy client’s review. At least once a week a contact reaches out to Jourden after reading what others say about their experiences with him. He said his reviews on Zillow have been critical to his success.

John Jourden is a top-rated real estate agent in New York City, the most competitive housing market in the nation. Read the case study to learn what tools he used to reach the top.