How many times have you spent hours or even days showing a perspective buyer home after home after home? It seems like a good idea, but in reality, it’s not. Consider the following scenario:

A couple contacts you because they’re interested in purchasing a home. The live in a different area but are planning on spending three days in your town because they want to buy a house there. They are also considering one or two other towns. They arrive on the agreed upon date and are anxious to have you show them the area along with several homes they found on the internet. Because they’re unfamiliar with your town, you spend an entire day selling them the area. On the second day, you show them the three or four home they have identified.  They contact you on the second night and have found several more homes they want to look at. Once again, you make yourself available on the third day. After showing the couple four more properties, they find one they really like. They inform you that before they put in an offer, they want to spend a couple days with their friends who live in another resort area.

Although you’re disappointed, you agree to wait for them to call you back in a couple days. When they call you back, you find out that after spending nearly three days of your life with these people, they have decided to buy in another area because of their friends.

Unfortunately, the above scenario is quite common. You have unknowingly agreed to be an unpaid tour guide for someone that was considering your area. If you consider that on occasion, some of these prospects do buy, it seems to make sense to take the shot. There is a better way to handle this scenario. Instead of being a tour guide, control your prospects’ activities by being a concierge. In other words, help them map out their itinerary without accompanying them. Only after you have assessed their interest, should you show them homes and apply the 80/20 Rule by having an assistant accompany them 80% of the time, while you focus on spending the 20%, most important time with them.

Remember, if you have the time to spend days with someone that is not even sure whether they’re going to buy in your area or not, it’s probably because you’re not very successful and most people prefer to have someone successful represent them.