Buyers and sellers are more informed than ever before and that means you need to get prepared to answer all of their real estate questions in 2017!
When you meet a buyer or seller face-to-face for the first time, does it ever feel like an interview?
For even the most prepared candidate, interviews can be daunting.
Researching, negotiating, preparing yourself to answer the dreaded “what are your weaknesses” question.
Although buyer and seller meetings aren’t (shouldn’t be) quite this stressful, the reason for the questions essentially boils down to the same thing:
Can you get the job done?
Now, I know you’re qualified and you know you’re qualified.
And chances are your client has visited your agent website, read your testimonials, blogs…etc. and done their research, so they too are aware of your expertise.
They are also more informed than ever before.
Today we’re going to go through 7 of the top questions you can expect to get in the new year and the free resources you can give away to seal the deal.
Here we go!
What they’re actually asking –
How do I know you’re qualified and what makes you the best agent for me?
The longevity of your career doesn’t necessarily determine your qualifications.
And having experience doesn’t always mean an agent has the skillset to back it up.
But you do.
Now, if you’ve been in the industry for 10+ years, that’s great.
Let them know.
If not, there are a lot of other ways to discuss your expertise.
So, let them know what you can do.
Start by offering a free buyer’s or seller’s guide.
You can do this by:
Use the platform you like best to deliver the most value to your clients.
This is also a good time to share some client testimonials with them.
Though hopefully they’ve already viewed your best ones on your website.
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What they really want to know –
How quickly can you sell my home?
Know that every client of yours in entrusting you with two of their most precious assets.
Their time
and
their money.
If you have a great client success story, now’s the time to tell it.
Maybe you sold a house in 7 days.
Or had an offer less than 24 hours after it was listed.
If you’ve sold a home in the past 12 months, you’ve got a story to tell.
Beyond sharing your triumphs, you should also let your client know how you actually do plan to sell their home.
You knew this was coming.
Chances are good you even met your client on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
So, how are you going to market their home online?
I mean, it’s not a secret.
Show them your most active social media profile and the way you’ve engaged potential buyers before.
Do you do video tours?
Post a photo series?
Blog about it on your real estate agent website?
Let them know.
And this is also around the time you might start to get some questions about Zillow and Trulia.
Remind your client that you’re the local expert and can reach folks far beyond the scope of these big portals.
What they are asking –
What’s the best way I can reach you and how readily accessible will you be me?
Before you meet with your client, have a response ready for this question.
It may actually be the easiest one of the bunch.
Chances are that the way you first initiated direct contact with your lead will be your main means of communication.
So, if they emailed you to set up a meeting you might want to start there.
Or, say they’ve been responsive on Messenger.
Then you may want to keep things moving that way.
And there’s always the chance the two of you have been connecting via text message or having some good old fashion phone calls.
Either way, take note of their preferred means of communication and give them options.
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What they really mean –
Are you going to make my property look good?
This is really just an extension of #2.
They’re eager to know your strategies for selling.
You don’t have to give them the make and model of your latest lens, but do make sure you know how to use it.
If you’re big on video, this is also an opportunity to show them a clip of how you use Youtube or livestream on Facebook to sell properties.
Especially if this has helped you get a SOLD sign on the front yard in the past year.
What they are actually asking –
Tell me about your local expertise.
You know how in the past we’ve gone on and on about the importance of partnering with local businesses and creating quality neighborhood pages?
This is exactly why.
You should be working to establish yourself as the local expert in your area long before you even meet your client.
Imagine if you reviewed the top 5 local burger joints in town, or put together a Shop Local holiday guide.
Then, you tagged each and every one of those small businesses on Facebook in a post linking to your writeup.
You’ve now gathered at least a dozen references between the two.
And chances are your client will have either dined at one of those restaurants, or gone Christmas shopping at a shop you’ve reviewed.
This tells them that you know and care about the area.
What they want to know –
How do I prepare my house for staging.
This is another excellent opportunity for you to hand out some free knowledge.
If you don’t have a blog article on home staging tips, go write one.
Right now.
Then, send it to them in the meeting.
They’ll then be able to start prepping their home for viewings right away.
What they’re asking –
I need more assurance before I choose you as my agent.
There are few things more convincing than a stellar review.
Just look at Yelp.
I bet you do and I bet you’ve used the site to decide whether or not to patron a restaurant.
A good testimonial is like a trusted friend encouraging you to move forward with your plans.
You should have an entire page dedicated to these kind of genuine success stories on your website.
And you should share them on all your social media.
And, like we pointed out in question #5, all of your local contacts and partners can also serve as positive reviews.
Do you feel prepared to answer these questions in 2017?
Let’s boost your lead gen.