Buying, selling, or making renovations to a home is about as emotionally stressful as illness, death, car repairs, marriage, or birth, according to a Texas A&M University study that ranks "high-emotion events" in a person's life.

To help reduce your clients' anxiety, BUILDER recently highlighted the following tips to increase their comfort:

Assume your client is anxious about the transaction. Even if they appear calm about the buying or selling process, operate as though they're not. People who have bought or sold before likely still have some concerns that first-timers have. "Your team must act as if each buyer is anxious about their purchase experience," BUILDER notes. Raise potential concerns with your clients, listen carefully to their responses, and address each one to put them more at ease.

Identify the most likely "emotional triggers" in the process. Review home buyer surveys you've conducted, and pay attention to the points in the transaction your clients rated the lowest. This will tell you where you need to set more realistic expectations with buyers—or lower them so no one feels surprised.

Plan ahead and be proactive. Introduce your clients to key staff members immediately. For example, some builders are creating biographical fliers that include photos of their staff and provide information about what buyers can expect in the buying process. Sales associates who sell new homes often take four or five photos during construction and e-mail them to the buyer to keep communication open. Provide status updates to your clients once every two weeks, if not more. Keep them from feeling overwhelmed by offering contractors who can respond to their questions, or sending thoughtful gifts like a dog tag with their dog's name and new address on it. It show you've got their back.