How to Win the Trust of Potential Home Selling Clients

With all of your background advertising and prospecting efforts, your phone will start ringing with people looking to buy and sell houses. As they will likely call a few real estate agents, your phone conversation and personal meeting must be top-notch professional to convince them that you are the agent they want to work with.

The number one reason that motivates people to choose a particular agent is because they like them.

Being liked isn’t necessarily connected to how smooth, good looking and well dressed you are – it comes from being honest, loyal and a good listener. Tell a story about a time that you sacrificed part of a commission by talking clients out of buying a house that they couldn’t afford comfortably or another situation that demonstrates your integrity. Listen closely to the requests of the potential client and take ample notes. One real estate trick, called “mirroring” can be highly successful if applied skillfully. Real estate agents can develop a greater connection by subtly adapting the body language, vocabulary and attitude of their potential clients. This subconsciously makes them relate better to the agent.

Of course, it takes more than being a nice person to convince a client that he/she ought to hire you. Be knowledgeable about the housing market that they are hoping to buy or sell in. Be able to rattle off the recent list and sale prices of the recent sales in the area, even if you were not involved in those transactions.

Keep a written file of positive neighborhood statistics, such as how highly the local schools are scoring on standardized tests, how low the crime rate is and the shorter-than-average commute time of its residents.

If you are called to make an estimate of how much a house can sell for, do not be tempted inflate the price in order to get someone to list with you. Instead be prepared to walk a client through a comparative market analysis, or CMA. This is a list of recent sales of comparable properties in the area. Explain that the price you estimated is consistent with recent trends and that asking too high of a price can undermine a house’s selling price after all. Clients will appreciate your honesty and professionalism.

If you are asked to lower your commission, be able to articulate the commission splitting process and why the services you provide justify that rate.

Lastly, convey a sense of urgency that now is the best time to sell a house and the market may not be as hot in a few months. Don’t be pushy and end the meeting by telling them that you look forward to hearing from them soon.