The listing presentation is more important that the buyer’s consultation, and often tougher.
While 70%+ of sellers work with the first agent they meet, we’re seeing more competition. Sellers are more demanding than buyers because buyers can obviously see when a new home comes on the market and sellers have no idea. This is when they start questioning your marketing, want you to advertise in The Wall Street Journal and anything else.
Like anything involving humans, there is no one way to do this.
Basic steps:
- Walk the house. Preferably alone so they don’t sell you on the house for 30 minutes. Tell them you want to see it with a buyer’s eye.
- Find out about their past experiences and what they are expecting.
- When you talk about the price, make sure you are saying that it’s what the market is saying. Markets change and it’s easier to say that than, “I changed my mind. You need to drop the price by $15,000”
- Prepare to defend and negotiate your commission.
Other pieces:
- Know the inventory and surrounding area. You will be quizzed.
- If they are interviewing others, try to find out who. Their is a script for any situation.
- Expired listings complain about communication. Make sure you set the expectation on communication; when and how.
- Professional photography, staging, contractors, etc. What you will pay for and what you will source for them?
- Show them how the process goes for you?
- What to expect with the type of buyer that might purchase the home?
- What would trigger a request to drop the price?
- Are you doing open houses?
Your goal is to get them to sign the contract, under-promise and over-deliver.
The universal elements of a script are Doubt, Curiosity and Urgency.
Doubt:
- Why are they thinking of interviewing someone else?
- Why would they pick that?
- Why would you wait?
- And whatever is relevant.
Curiosity:
- Have you seen my marketing?
- Have you heard what my past clients have said about me?
Urgency: I’m not a fan of creating a false sense of urgency. But urgency does move people. Find out their goals and if there is a reason to be urgent, show them. At least that’s my way.
There’s more that can be added. You’ll find some templates online and at BreakthroughBroker.com.
I will add more in time from a project I’m working on.
