6 Unusual (But Effective) Ways to Keep Your Client Relationships Alive After the Sale

You might have tried every trick in the book to nurture your relationship with clients — drip campaigns, direct mail, holiday cards — to name a few. What else can you pull out of your hat that will be both memorable and professional? Using your social media accounts, laptop and smartphone, there are number of ways you can stay in touch with clients while being engaging and even entertaining.

Here are 6 unusual but effective ways to keep your client relationships alive.

1. Words with friends

Build your database and your vocabulary at the same time. Invite clients to play Words With Friends through your Facebook business page. The two-player word-building game is free and works a lot like Scrabble, so it’s easy to learn. Each player gets a push notification when it’s their turn to lay down a word and you can play up to 30 games at one time. That’s 30 clients you can keep in regular touch with; an in-game chat feature lets you carry on the conversation beyond the game.

2. Phone games

There are dozens of games you can play with others using your smartphone: Trivia, puzzles, quizzes, brain teasers — and more debut every week. Know a pinball wizard? Connect with them through an arcade game. Have a lot of cerebral types in your database? Challenge them to go head-to-head on a strategy game. Did you help close a sale for a client who had an eagle eye for the details? Invite them to test their skills against yours on photo comparisons. The variety of game types that are available makes it easy to find one that a client would enjoy.

3. Snapchat stories

How many times have you wished you had a way to capture behind-the-scenes moments that illustrate your life as a real estate agent, and then share your story with clients? Snapchat stories are a great opportunity to do just that: Stories are compiled from Snaps (photos and videos) that you took over a 24-hour period and added to My Story. You can add as many Snaps to your Story as you want, but keep in mind a Story only lasts 24 hours (individual Snaps self-destruct after mere seconds). Each Snapchat Story is a visual diary that allows you to connect with viewers by giving them a chance to live a few moments of your life with you.

4. Spotify playlists

There are any number of scenarios where music helps to set a mood — tackling a to-do list, prepping a home to show it, working out, waking up, falling asleep — and you can use Spotify to compile playlists, and then share them with others. Is your local rush hour traffic a bear? Put together a playlist that takes your mind off the gridlock. Want to hit the right note for hot summer nights or cold winter evenings? Gather your favorite songs to set the mood for beach bonfires or crackling hearths. Spotify makes it easy to curate a playlist for any occasion and then share it as a unique way to connect with clients.

5. Fantasy sports leagues

The great thing about inviting clients to participate in a fantasy sports league is that you can do it any time of year and for any sport. Depending on the definition and legality of online gaming in your state, fans can play for real money or simply for bragging rights. Online fantasy sports leagues are simple to join and offer many contests with minimal entrance fees, so nearly anybody you think would be interested in playing can start right away. Track your teams against your invitees’ teams, and keep in touch with everyone through the fantasy sports league’s website or mobile app.

6. Fitness tracker

Be a virtual workout buddy and keep yourself and your clients on track with fitness goals. Plan regular check-ins, share encouraging posts and even spark friendly competitions among your clients. Wearable technology makes it even easier to track and share results.

While it can be a challenge to find relevant ways to keep your client relationships active after a transaction, it’s an unavoidable task if you want to garner referrals and return business. Supplement your postcard or drip campaigns with games, visual storytelling or a shared fitness experience. You’ll not only have a way to stay in regular contact with real estate clients, you might even gain a reputation as “the fun one.”