In real estate, seller leads are absolute gold dust – it’s what we work for. Unfortunately, it’s easy to just see these as names, emails, phone numbers and at the worst, numbers on a commission check. If you take the time to understand the seller’s experience, your pitch will get that much stronger. From there, you’ll be able to land more future deals.
In today’s market, real estate agents do a great job of showing customers how they can buy their first property. The majority of real estate websites have detailed information about what buyers need to do to get their foot on the ladder.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for advice about how to sell a property and, as a result, seller clients are often anxious and full of questions they might be nervous to ask.
Help Your Clients Overcome Their Fears
They’re afraid, and that’s understandable. Why? Because they hardly know you and they’re about to put the biggest financial commitment of their lives solely into your hands. That’s nerve-wracking even for the strongest of people.
Despite this, so many agents go through their processes and rattle off listing presentations that don’t actually help to tackle any of the seller’s concerns. Although this method might be bringing you in leads, you could definitely be winning a lot more business if you focus on your potential client’s situation.
Ask Yourself What You Can Do to Help Them
Each of your potential seller clients will be different, meaning you’ll likely have to field a variety of questions on the spot. However, there are three big objections you can prepare for in advance to help put their minds at ease.
1) How Does the Process Work?
If you’ve ever had surgery, you’ll know that before anything happens, you’ll be sat in a room with a doctor who’ll talk you through the process and answer any questions you might have. Sadly, the same can’t be said for real estate.
You should make a point to talk your clients through the process. Not only will you alleviate any fears and concerns, you’ll also help improve the outcome of the sale and decrease the chance of any complications arising. It might seem like unnecessary effort but tackling this at the start will help you in the long run.
2) Nervousness
Employ a bit of empathy and try to imagine the anxiety your seller clients must be feeling.
What if my property doesn’t sell? What if I don’t get the sales value I need? What if I can’t close a sale in time for my new home?
If they’ve listened to the wrong people online, they’ll be concerned that you’re simply going to suggest a price that’s below market value to get a quick sale and quick commission. You can tackle this one head-on by talking them through the CMA process, as well as how it compares to the appraiser’s evaluation.
If they’re buying and selling, talk them through the roadblocks they can expect to encounter, as well as how you’ll help them to handle them in the event that they occur. If they don’t know how much equity they have, help them find out.
3) What if Potential Buyers Steal from Me?
This fear is completely natural, especially with first-time sellers, because they only have one point of reference for potential buyers – themselves. And, although it was likely completely innocent, they’ll remember opening cupboards and peeking into drawers out of curiosity.
However, not everyone’s curiosity is as innocent as theirs. That’s why it’s your job to explain that you understand this fear and know how to handle the situation. You should advise them that, although you’ll do your best to maintain a high level of security, they should lock up any valuables, weapons and prescription medications.