Keeping listing clients happy during a real estate downturn is no task for the faint-hearted. In fact, it’s hard work, and sometimes stressful work.

What can you do to hang on to them until things pick up again?

First, stay in touch. It’s not easy to pick up the phone and call your clients when there’s no good news, but when they keep hearing from you, they know you haven’t forgotten them, and you’re still trying to sell their house.

Start keeping a log of the things you do for each listing – everything from straightening their sign to adding new materials to their flyer box, to mailing a flyer to an out of town inquiry.

If, after a couple of weeks, you see that you haven’t done much, then find something to do for them!

Maybe you should take the time to do a new market analysis. After all, if your market is filled with repossessions and short sales, the price you told them 3 or 4 months ago may be wrong today.

It might not be good news – not news they want to hear – but your honest evaluation is something they need to see.

They may object to having their well-cared-for home compared to a repossessed home, so you need to choose your comps with care and assure them that you have indeed seen the homes you used. Point out the adjustments you’ve made for condition, if that was necessary. Also point out the similar features.

Take your time with the adjustments so you can explain them to your clients. That will assure them that the price you now see is the right one.

Once you’ve shown them your figures, have a serious talk about what they need to do. Maybe they’re fine with waiting until the market comes back up, but maybe they have a reason why they need to move soon and need to make a price adjustment. Let that be their informed decision.

If you do make a price adjustment, send out a “just reduced” message to everyone on your buyer list who might be a fit for that house.

If the price looks right, then work on improving your advertising copy and get some new photos for your virtual tour. Make it look like a different house than the one your potential buyers saw last week. If nothing else, it could cause someone to take a second look and perhaps decide they need to see it.

If your ad copy so far has been routine, talk with the sellers and learn something that you can use in your new copy. Ask them what they’ve enjoyed most about living there. Ask them what features in the house give them the most benefits. It could be relaxing on the back deck and watching the leaves change in the fall – or feeding a variety of birds in the back yard feeders. It could be the cheer and warmth of the fireplace on a cold winter’s night.

Whatever it is, paint some word pictures and add them to your copy to entice buyers. Make them want to enjoy those same comforts.

If you haven’t already done so, get out and make some contacts in the school district personnel office and visit any corporations that routinely relocate employees. Get permission to leave your flyers with them while you promise to take good care of their incoming employees.

Go to the local motels and ask if you can leave flyers for their guests. Ditto for restaurants and service stations. Any place where newcomers stop is a good place for your marketing materials.

Then, be sure to enter those activities on your log. At the end of the month, send a little report to each of your listing clients, letting them know what you’ve done on their behalf this month.

I guarantee that staying in touch and keeping them informed will give you a far better chance of hanging on to that listing than will ignoring them.

Take care to keep your listing clients happy and hold on to those listings, so you’ll be ready when the market turns around – you can do it if you communicate well.