“Delegate the details so you focus on dollar-productive tasks.”
Miller courts first-time buyers because they typically represent the potential for quick repeat business—many move within three years. Cultivating this niche helped her close 73 transactions last year, she says.
Professional approach: Committing an annual business plan to writing helps her firm up goals, estimate expenses, and think through her marketing strategies. She employs a full-time assistant to handle paperwork and marketing and help her manage her busy schedule.
Service after the sale: “I follow up after the closing with a written survey that provides me with useful information, such as ‘Did the experience meet your expectations?’ and ‘Were you happy with communications throughout the process?’” she says. She keeps the relationship going throughout the year with wreath and pumpkin giveaways, anniversary and birthday cards, newsletters, and recipe cards, she says. One of her favorite traditions is a movie night at a local theater. She greets everybody at the door with candy in hand.