Do What It Takes for As Long As At Takes

As a full time agent it’s very easy to identify the logic behind a good strategy.  For example, when a house is overpriced it’s very clear to a good agent that they need to reduce the price.  When a seller doesn’t, it’s easy to get frustrated with the sellers refusal to lower the price.  Even the best agents must remember to be patient as sellers and buyers don’t have the luxury of being exposed daily to market activity and trends.  Let’s give our clients the same courtesy that we expect when we struggle with a new concept.  We must remember that people will always learn with enough spaced-repetition.  Some of your clients will learn quickly, others will take forever when you sometimes least expect it, just like magic, your buyers and sellers will get it and that can be a very rewarding experience.

Seller Close #12: The Next Step Close

Before a seller will move forward and expect an offer or agree to sell they must be comfortable with what the next steps in their lives will be. Don’t confuse making the commitment to sell with a seller’s final acceptance of the sale.  In many cases, sellers have accepted that they have to sell but aren’t ready to move forward yet.  As the sellers trusted real estate advisor, it’s important for you to help your sellers feel comfortable with their next step.  It never hurts to just ask, “once you sell your home, what’s your next step?”  For example, a seller in the middle of negotiations may suddenly become unreasonable.  This may be due to the sellers fear of moving.  You can help the seller identify their new home and you can also help the seller look forward to the phase in their life.

Buyer Argument #12: The Left Over Close

Most buyers are so intent on focusing on price that they could have inadvertently ended up with a lot less than they purchased their home for.  It’s our responsibility to remind the buyer that now is the best time to buy partially because of great prices in today’s market, but also because the selection of homes is better than ever.  As the market improves, the homes that typically sell first are the most desirable properties that everybody wants.  This is why it’s so important for a buyer to time their purchase near or at the bottom of the market.  Every buyer should realize that it is too risky to wait until recovery begins because once the recovery begins and other buyers have jumped into the market, it may be too late to get the best selection and then what good does getting a great price make when you’ve sacrificed the home of your dreams.  The solution to this dilemma is to get your dream home while the prices are still declining.  Don’t wait until you begin to see appreciation.