• No results found

Seller Mastery Guides

N/A
N/A
Protected

Academic year: 2021

Share "Seller Mastery Guides"

Copied!
54
0
0

Loading.... (view fulltext now)

Full text

(1)

Seller Mastery Guides

Step 1: Lead Conversion

(2)

Notices

While Keller Williams Realty, Inc. (KWRI) has taken due care in the preparation of all course materials, we cannot guarantee their accuracy. KWRI makes no

warranties either expressed or implied with regard to the information and programs presented in the course or in this manual.

Material excerpted from Th e Millionaire Real Estate Agent and SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times appears courtesy of Th e McGraw-Hill Companies.

Th e Millionaire Real Estate Agent is copyright © 2003–2004 Rellek Publishing

Partners Ltd. SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times is copyright © 2008 Rellek Publishing Partners Ltd. All rights reserved.

All other materials are copyright © 2008 Keller Williams Realty, Inc. Printed October 2008.

(3)

Table of Contents

WHERE YOU ARE TODAY ...1

THE IMPORTANCEOF LEAD CONVERSION ...4

Th e Beginning of the Listing Cycle ...4

CAPTURE—SOURCESAND TYPESOF LEADS ...6

Managing Sellers from Diff erent Sources ...6

Responding to Sellers ...9

Managing Sellers in Diff erent Situations ...11

CONNECT ...14

Connect Th rough Consultation ...14

Connect with the DISC ...15

Connect with Purpose—Use a Lead Sheet ...17

Prelisting Lead Sheet ...19

Prequalifying—Able, Ready, and Willing ...21

CLOSETO APPOINTMENT ...26

Techniques ...26

Criteria for the Appointment ...31

Leads to Appointments Ratios ...33

OBJECTIONS—DELAY, OBJECT, OR RESIST ...36

Refusal to Give Information ...36

Objections Related to Commission ...37

Objections Related to Media Coverage ...37

Objections Related to Commitment...38

(4)

THE APPOINTMENT: HOWAND WHERE ...40

Two Schools of Th ought: One-Step vs. Two-Step ...40

Where to Close the Listing ...43

Appointment Setting Accountability ...45

(5)

Where You Are Today

A goal of this course is to encourage you to absorb and internalize the key

information in the course Guides. Th e path to skill is made up of just four simple steps:

Memorize - (the material, the ideas) 1.

Internalize - (make them something you know without thinking about 2.

them)

Customize - (adapt them to your personality, business practice, and business 3.

plan)

Capitalize - (take full advantage of their power) 4.

You can think of this another way. One big key to success is to study. When

thinking about study, keep in mind the acronym “AIR”, which stands for attention, intention, and repetition.

Study comes together in your business with practice and coaching.

You’ve been through an overview of the entire course where we introduced the Seller Service Cycle. Th e next seven guides correspond to the steps of the cycle. Your lead generation should be running full blast, built on the three hours a day commitment advocated in the KWU course Lead Generation 36:12:3.

In this guide, we’re going to focus on converting a listing lead to a listing appointment. In the process, you’ll see how top agents not only get the appointment, but begin diagnosing how to work most eff ectively with that prospect—to get the listing and service the listing through off er acceptance, contract to close, and beyond.

Let’s begin by testing your knowledge on what you learned in the Guide,

Introduction.

What do top agents say are the four leading ingredients in the pursuit of 1. mastery? 1.

Repetition is the

mother of skill.

Dave Jenks

(6)

Name the seven steps of the Seller Service Cycle. 2. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

(7)

Th

e Seller Service Cycle

1. Lead Conversion Capture Connect Close Appointment 2. Prelisting

Research CMA and Prep Packet

Prepare Body and Mindset

3. Listing Consultation

The Front Door

The Walk-through The Kitchen Table The Close 4. Servicing and

Marketing

Listing Service Systems

Marketing Systems 5. Offers and

Negotiations

Receive Offers and Negotiate 6. Contract to Close Complete Contract to Closing “Touch” Follow-Up 7. Postclose Systems Touch Systems Client for Life

The Seller Service Cycle

(8)

Th

e Importance of Lead

Conversion

Th is guide begins by focusing on the most fundamental of all skills, lead conversion. While one can argue that all the vital skills used in the Seven-Step Listing Cycle are interdependent and essential—the truth is the ability to convert leads to appointments creates everything that follows.

In SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times, Gary Keller, Dave Jenks, and Jay Papasan hammer this point home with gusto. In describing the problem so many agents face in raising their business up to higher levels of revenue generation and profi tability, they observe, “Th ey (agents) spend signifi cant amounts of time and money on their lead production profi ciency but then largely neglect their conversion competence. Th is is never an eff ective way to operate in any market.” Let’s take a look at how the most successful agents think about, manage, and pursue leads until they become appointments—or are designated for further cultivation.

Th

e Beginning of the Listing Cycle

Th e business of converting leads is an exciting time in the Listing Cycle—you’re at the beginning of a new relationship. You have the chance to apply vital skills in ways that will secure business and create lasting business connections and referral sources. It’s also what poker players would probably call an “all in” kind of situation. Why? If you get the appointment, you’re very likely to get the listing. Th e stakes are high. Th e challenge is to get the appointment.

Truth

In most markets in North America, the majority of sellers only interview one agent—and about 85 percent talk with no more than two agents before

deciding who will represent them.

Th is guide will teach you how to get the appointment—maximizing your chances of success by gathering data, prequalifying the prospect, building rapport, and using

The effort you

give to converting

leads must match

the effort you

give to generating

them.

Gary Keller

(9)

In this step, we’ll focus on the three steps of the conversion process: Capture 1. Connect 2. Close to Appointment 3.

Whether it happens on the phone, in person, or at an open house, capture is all about getting enough contact information from someone so you know you can get back in touch with them. Doing that—knowing you can email, call, write, or stop by to see them—makes them a real lead. How the capturing process goes can also be the fi rst indication of their intentions—what it may be like to work with them, and even what the chances are they will become a listing customer.

With the help of a lead sheet, your connect consultation will allow you to gather important information about your prospective client. By the end of the conversation, you should know whether or not the prospects are qualifi ed to sell their home by working with you. Once you’ve evaluated their motivation, you can decide whether to pursue the appointment, put them on a drip system, or refer them to a colleague.

(10)

Capture—Sources and

Types of Leads

Remember, capture means to have the lead in a position to create an appointment with them.

Truth

No lead is captured until you have their contact information, so

that you are in control of when and how often you touch them.

In SHIFT, Gary says the best advice on this crucial fi rst step is to be straightforward and direct.

Th anks for calling. I’m Gary Keller. May I ask your name? and Th anks and what is your phone number? work really well when asked together. When asked separately, a

script like If I were to need to get in touch with you, what would that number be? or If

I found exactly what you’re looking for, how would I contact you? or If I found out that information you’re wanting, how would I get it to you? work well.

Straightforward is usually the best approach and people just respond to it. Th ey consistently give what you ask them to give you.

Managing Sellers from Diff erent Sources

To begin with, it’s important to be clear about some diff erences you will likely encounter according to the type and source of the lead you are following up on for an appointment. Th ese discussions are also reviewed in Lead Generation 36:12:3. Seller lead sources:

(11)

Internet Leads

Leads that come by phone or personal contact are often easier to convert to an appointment. Internet leads—leads that come in via email or Internet forms—tend to take longer because they are typically at an earlier stage in the selling process. Th ink about this—when a seller contacts you by phone, what sort of preparation have they done toward selling their home? Th ey’ve probably fi gured out how much they need to net, talked to friends about home values, and looked online for information. By the time they pick up the phone, they already have a plan for what to do once they’ve sold their home. Th ey know they’re going to speak to a human being, so they’ve done some mental preparation—after all, they don’t want to look unprepared.

But the Internet provides anonymous instant information. People who are in the early stages of the selling process can make casual inquiries without having done any preparation at all. In fact, the Internet is increasingly the fi rst step homeowners take in the selling as well as the buying process. While buyers are looking at specifi c properties, sellers are cruising websites (hopefully including your own or your company’s site) checking out property values.

What does this mean for you? Does it mean that Internet prospects are just browsers—curiosity seekers who will never actually become active clients?

Far from it! Th e fact that Internet leads are in the fi rst stages of the selling process just means that they require a diff erent mindset.

In fact, research conducted in 2007 for Lead Generation 36:12:3 shows that while sellers represent just 15 percent of total visitors to Keller Williams agents’ websites (85 percent are buyer leads), the proportion of sellers who register on these sites and the percentage who eventually sign agreements to work with the agent (80 percent) are higher than for buyers (65 percent). Sellers who use the Internet to search for value comparisons—and agents—mean business. Th eir conversion rates with agents are higher than buyer conversion rates. Remember, though, that buyers can search for homes from many sources and get much of what they want before ever contacting an agent. Sellers, however, must register with an agent on a specifi c site to get an estimate of value on their specifi c property.

(12)

G

reg Gorman, a top listing agent from Naples, Florida, has found that narrowing his response time pays big dividends. “If a lead comes in from the Internet, we know we’re typically going to have to respond

to that lead very quickly. You’ve only got about one to two hours on an Internet lead to get back with them. People who are on the net want everything instantaneously—that’s why they’re on the Internet. And we fi nd that if we’re able to meet that one-to-two-hour goal, we typically can turn that very cold lead into a hot prospect.”

Agents with teams make it a team goal to respond immediately to internet leads. Solo agents face more of a challenge. Solos who truly want to maximize their investment in the internet have their emails routed to their PDA or smart phone so they can respond to emails throughout the day—as close to instantly as is possible. Top Northwest agent Ben Kinney, Bellingham, Washington, recommends being as aggressive as possible when contacted by an Internet lead. “We send them 10 emails back over 10 consecutive days,” says Ben. “By then, usually we know where we stand with them.”

Inbound Phone or Personal Contact

Th is is lead conversion the old-fashioned way, and it has its pros and cons. Most agents we talked with seem to prefer the comfort and control they feel when they are in an active dialogue with a seller.

But, unlike the Internet lead, the called or calling seller’s situation has not been conditioned by Internet activity—at least not activity that you can track and attribute to them.

So, your confi dence, your scripts, and your probing skills are really put to the test. Unless they are from your Met database and you can immediately call up their database record on screen, you need to build a complete picture of them, their motivation, and their wants and needs through one conversation.

You can use ProManage/TOP PRODUCER’s database tool to good advantage with Mets. When you call, have their contact history onscreen so you can reference their property and contact history.

(13)

Responding to Sellers

Be Prompt

Th e following graph shows the response times for the majority of top KW agents to diff erent kinds of leads obtained from a survey of agents attending Mega Camp in 2007. Sixty-two percent respond to phone calls in 1 hour or less during business hours. Fifty-fi ve percent respond in 4 hours or less to calls received after business hours. Times are only slightly longer for Internet leads during business hours: 55 percent respond in 2 hours or less to business-hours emails; 58 percent respond in 1 business day or less to after-hours emails.

Top Agent Response Times

0 5 10 15 20 25 Email - after business hours Email - during business hours Calls - after business hours Calls - during business hours Hours

Be Energetic

(14)

Different Response Types

Drip mail • Email • Video email •

Drip Mail Systems

Drip mail systems are purposeful contact systems that you creat to respond to a lead over time. Research for Internet Lead Generation shows that the most eff ective responses are meaningful, interactive, and consistent. A combination of personal phone calls, automated email marketing campaigns, and the Buyer Instant Notifi cation System (BINS) available through your IDX provider will net you the best results. An Agent’s Guide to Internet Lead Capture and Conversion is one great Keller Williams resource on current marketing technologies for lead follow-up. Drip systems have been around a long time, and keep getting better, because they work!

Email Response

In order to respond effi ciently, yet personally, you can adapt the templates provided in lead management programs like ProManage/TOP PRODUCER. You can plug the important facts from the Internet lead into a form email and send it off . You can attach a specially formatted lead sheet to the email. One is available for you in your Toolkit CD. Even if the prospect isn’t comfortable talking with you over the phone, they may be willing to fi ll out your form, providing you with valuable information to help keep the prequalifying and appointment-setting process moving forward.

Video Email

(15)

Managing Sellers in Diff erent Situations

Of course, how a lead comes to you is only part of the basis for how you handle the lead. Another key component is the type of lead. What category does it fall into? Th e type of lead is about personal circumstances of that prospective seller. Here are some categories, with characteristics that may impact how you communicate with them to get an appointment.

Common seller situations you’ll encounter: Seller in Residence • Job Relocation • Investor • Estate-Driven • REO/Short Sale •

Seller in Residence

Th is is the prototypical seller—the person or family living in their own primary residence who has decided to sell it, for some set of personal or fi nancial

circumstances. Th roughout this course, this type of seller is used as the example for scripts, dialogues, and models.

You’ll delve into the many aspects of working with this seller in this course, and here are the obvious opportunities:

Th is seller, like any other seller, may also plan to be a buyer.

1. Unless

they no longer plan to own a home for some fi nancial reason, this seller should be a relatively easy buyer pickup for you, if they are staying in the state where you are licensed, or going to another state where you are also licensed. Or, you can refer them to an out-of-state agent and collect a fee. Th is seller lead may have come to you, originally, as a buyer.

2. It

(16)

Job Relocation Seller

Th is seller is living in their own primary residence, but we diff erentiate them because their reason for selling is specifi cally driven by a job change or transfer that is taking them to a new location. In this circumstance, a relocation company may be involved. You may have the opportunity to be the listing agent working with that relocation company. Some companies allow this, and it’s an opportunity for you on two levels:

You can win a listing. 1.

You can persuade the seller to let you

2. refer them to a buyer’s agent in the

town they are moving to. Or, if it is a local or regional move within your state, you may become their buyer’s agent.

Sometimes, however, employers have exclusive representation contracts with select companies, in which case you will be shut out. Usually sellers know these conditions from their employer, but we mention it here because communication is a highly variable thing, and you may run into a seller who does not realize their employer will take control of listing the property.

Investor Seller

Th is party is selling a home that is not their primary residence. It may be an investment property that’s been rented to generate cash fl ow. Or, it may be the seller’s vacation home, or one of several vacation homes. Th ey are often relatively knowledgeable prospective clients. Th ey’ve likely done more transactions than the average seller.

Th e opportunity with these sellers:

If they are talking to you, and don’t have an agent who’s worked with them 1.

in the past, it could mean their past agent or agents disappointed them and prompted a search for a new resource. You may win your way into a very lucrative relationship with a seller who can bring you a fl ow of business as they buy and sell investment properties over time.

If you win them and do a great job, these sellers often have a personal 2.

(17)

Estate-Driven Seller

Th ese are sellers who are disposing of a property under the guidelines of a will or estate planning document of some kind. Th ese sellers are like traditional sellers in some ways, but special circumstances are in play because the sale is motivated by a death in the family—usually the owner of the property has passed away and the seller who approached you is a blood relative.

Th e common circumstances of estate-driven sellers:

Th e seller is operating under directives set in family legal documents. 1.

Special expectations about sales price or other terms may be created in these 2.

documents.

Th e seller may be working with an attorney who has their ear, and you may 3.

have some competition in the advice-giving on this deal.

REO/Short Sale

Yet another universe of sellers is those in fi nancial distress—in short sale territory, or headed for foreclosure. Th ese sellers are in need of your advice and guidance. Th ey probably know their property is in fi nancial distress, but they may not know their options for relief. If you know how the short sale process works, from the perspective of both owner and lender, you may be able to get their property sold, and get the sellers out of a tight spot.

Or, the seller may be a bank or institution that has taken possession of a foreclosed property, making it a REO property (REO stands for real estate owned—a

(18)

Connect

Connect Th

rough Consultation

Th e main goal of the initial consulting conversation with any seller, regardless of source or type, is to generate enough trust and confi dence in the seller to get an

appointment. Immediately, you show them what it feels like to work with you—

and that you are a consultant, one who listens to and connects with clients and prospects much more than talks at them.

Gather Information

Your most important initial goal is to gather information. Your questions, and the way you ask them, will demonstrate your shrewdness, experience, and personal warmth. Th is information gathering should also be designed to reveal the validity and value of this seller to your business. Are they going to be worth your time? You are seeking to understand their motivation. John Hatcher, a top agent in Portland, Maine, points out those sellers come with many diff erent agendas. “Th ere are some people who purchase a home to fi x it up and fl ip. Th ere are people who have inherited property, there are job moves, there are divorces, there are people separating, whether it’s roommates or a domestic partnership.” Understanding the sellers’

motivation lets you determine their level of urgency and their time frame for selling. Jennifer Barnes, a top producer in Atlanta, Georgia, adds, “You can always use that kind of information later when you’re negotiating and when you’re trying to think through the selling process with them.”

Perennial top agent Bruce Hardie, Spokane, Washington, adds an important early stage strategy for success. He says, “Remember to keep the seller talking with you. Th e longer they talk with you, the more invested they become in you and what you have to off er—and the less likely they are to invest in a diff erent agent.”

(19)

Connect with the DISC

Matching and mirroring is an eff ective technique for aligning yourself with your prospect to facilitate communication. Th e technique is based on this underlying truth, revealed in numerous research conversations:

Truth

You are auditioning for the chance to be

their representative—you have to gauge

their personality and match it.

Whether you are conversing by phone or in person, you want to extract as much information as possible. You can use a lead sheet to stay organized. Even though you are working from a list of questions, be sure to keep the experience as individualized and personal as possible. Th is is a conversation, not an inquisition. In the Brenkus Team, founder Teri Brenkus, Las Vegas, Nevada, advises her agents not to be too formal when talking to a lead over the phone—be friendly, be relaxed, and be their best friend.

You have to size up your prospective client. Remember that you are auditioning for the chance to spend time with them as their representative—try to gauge their personality and respond in kind.

Th ere are tools available to aid and guide you through all stages of contact with prospective clients. Many agents make it part of their educational mission to learn the DISC profi ling system. Used in Keller Williams recruiting, the DISC profi le includes detailed descriptions of personal behavioral types and styles. Asking questions that surface clues to where a prospective client aligns with this profi ling system provides specifi c insights on how best to work with them.

(20)

D Personality I Personality What do dominant people want?

To conquer, control, and win •

To know the bottom line •

To have you listen while they talk •

What should you do with dominant people? Let them know that you realize their •

time is valuable.

Help them go through the home-buying •

process as quickly as possible.

Emphasize results (especially when you •

present your Unique Value Proposition). Give them options and let the buyers •

select which choice is best for them.

What do infl uencing people want? To talk a lot while you listen •

To persuade •

To know about people who live in the •

area

To know about entertaining in the home •

What should you do with infl uencing people? Be fun and enthusiastic.

Spend time developing the relationship •

(ask about them).

Emphasize who you know. •

Pay attention to social boundaries. •

S Personality C Personality

What do steady people want? Assurance • Stability • To feel safe • To belong •

What should you do with steady people? Allow plenty of time for them to make •

decisions.

Communicate frequently. •

Let them know how much you care •

about them and their family.

What do compliant people want? To know lots of facts and details •

To avoid confl ict •

To avoid mistakes •

Time to think •

What should you do with compliant people? Provide as much information as you can. •

Appeal to their sense of logic. •

Give them time to think. •

(21)

Connect with Purpose—Use a Lead Sheet

Fundamentally, your connect consultation seeks fi rst to understand. Th ink about the connect conversation as needing to answer these questions:

Who are they? •

What do they want or need to do? •

Where do they want or need to do it? •

Why do they want or need to do it? •

When do they want or need to do it? •

How do they plan to do it? •

As with every other stage in the listing cycle, the initial contact goes much more smoothly and effi ciently if you have a system in place to keep it organized. Jean Grubb of Austin, Texas, recommends, “As soon as they get a lead from someone wanting to list a house, agents need a system that tells them what they need to do and what steps they need to perform.” For the initial consultation, that system is your lead sheet. Many agents color-code the lead sheet so they can fi nd it quickly and easily—for example, gold for buyer leads and green for listing leads. It’s best to keep your questionnaire to a single piece of paper—you don’t want to put the seller through the third degree, and having to deal with more than one sheet can be diffi cult when you’re in a hurry.

Top agents see the lead sheet as a multifaceted opportunity to:

1. Organize all the important personal details about the lead that you’ll want at your fi ngertips later, when they become a listing client or a follow-up. Th is includes noting how they came to have your name in the fi rst place—a vital piece of information for marketing planning and budgeting (more to come on this in Step 4: Servicing and Marketing).

Track key prequalifying questions

2. that help you assess how to handle this

lead going forward. Are they ready to list

a. now? How do you know?

What are their

b. motives for selling?

(22)

Learn something about the prospect’s personality type and 3.

communication style. Th is can provide invaluable insight that will be useful as you work to convert them to an appointment and a listing. You don’t have to ask every question on the sheet, and you should know which questions are key for you. Th is will vary from one agent to the next. For example, if you like to impress sellers with a detailed MLS and title history of their home, you might skip questions such as When was your home built? or How much did you pay

for your home? You know you’ll fi nd those facts out for yourself later.

Dianna Kokoszka, president of MAPS, uses her lead sheet to meet several objectives: she assesses the sellers’ motivation, analyzes their behavioral style, and builds a relationship with them. She wants to fi nd the root of their motivation, so she often goes “three deep”—she asks them “why is that important to you?” three times after each question. She varies the wording, saying things like:

How would that make you feel? •

What’s important to you about that? •

How would that make your family feel? •

Would that ultimately give you the goal that you want? •

Once she feels like she has discovered the sellers’ true motivation, she can test it by recommending a particular course of action. Th en, Dianna says, “We fi nd out if it’s truly their goal; if they start backtracking, then we know this isn’t their goal, and their motivation isn’t really there.”

Dianna also has another important tip regarding prequalifi cation. “Don’t try to handle objections during the prequalifying conversation,” she says. “Confront and deal with those in the actual meeting.” Ron Wexler, a Mega Agent based in Homewood, Illinois, and other agents agree on this point. “You are driving for the appointment,” Ron says, “so you need to acknowledge objections but postpone them for the meeting where you’ll really show off your expertise.”

On the next pages, you’ll see a sample lead sheet with the questions top agents use. However, you should feel free to customize so that it provides maximum support for you own listing consultation.

(23)

Prelisting Lead Sheet

Date: _______________ Contact Info Name: Email: Address: Children’s Names: Best Method of Contact: What times are best?

Home Phone: Spouse’s Name:

Work Phone: Spouse’s Cell Phone:

Cell Phone: Fax:

Motivation

1. Why are you moving?___________________________________________ 2. Where are you moving to?_______________________________________ 3. Are you already working with an agent? (circle one) Yes No

If yes, have you signed an agreement? (circle one) Yes No

4. How soon do you need to be there? ________________________________ 5. Will you be receiving any corporate relocation assistance? (circle one) Yes No 6. Are you thinking of selling your home as a FSBO? (circle one) Yes No 7. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being extremely urgent, how motivated are you to

sell your house? (circle one): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

(24)

14. How many years have your owned the house? _____ years

15. Have you done any updates or work on the house since you’ve owned it? _____ ___________________________________________________________ 16. Does it have a pool? (circle one) Yes No

17. Rate your home on a scale of one to ten.

(circle one): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

18. What would make it a ten?________________________________________

Financials

19. How much do you think your house is worth? $_______________________ 20. How much do you own on your mortgage? $ 1st ________ 2nd _________

LOC _________

21. How much do you want to net on your home? $____________ 22. Are you up-to-date on payments? (circle one) Yes No 23. Are you the sole owner of the house? (circle one) Yes No

24. If not, who else is on the title? _____________________________________ 25. Do you own any other real estate (investment properties, second home, etc.)?

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

Tracking and Conversion

26. How did you hear about me? _________________________________ 27. What are three things you expect from a Realtor?

1. _________________________________________________________ 2. _________________________________________________________ 3. _________________________________________________________ 23. Are you setting other appointments? Who? When?______________________

___________________________________________________________

Set the Appointment

“Let’s set an appointment to meet so we can fi nd out exactly what you want. This appointment should last 30 minutes to an hour. We’ll go through the home selling process and talk about your expectations and your goals.”

(25)

Prequalifying—Able, Ready, and Willing

A

W R

Redefi ning “Ready, Willing, and Able”

As you complete your lead sheet, you are developing a picture of the sellers’ motivation. Research for the book, SHIFT, led us to assemble these factors in a nontraditional way. Instead of the old “ready, willing, and able,” we now refer to them as “able, ready, and willing.” Here are the defi nitions of these descriptors. We think you’ll see why we’ve changed to this new sequence:

Able

1. —It’s almost always all about the money, and able relates to fi nancing. How will this prospect come out fi nancially if they sell at or near your recommended price? Will they walk away with proceeds from the sale, or is this a likely short sale situation where the seller is “upside down” and the sale will not produce the funds needed to satisfy their loan, or loans. Ready

2. —Ready means they have a time frame in mind and have resolved their personal concerns about whether or not to sell their home. Th ey have addressed and answered their “wants” and “needs” on this question. Th ey have chosen to list and sell their property now.

Willing

(26)

If they are not able, ready, and willing …

What do you do with sellers who do not meet all three criteria? Th ey might be expensive! Th ese are people who won’t be selling a house right away, but will probably at some point in their lives become active sellers.

Th e fi rst thing is what NOT to do—don’t go on an appointment! Some agents will invest in an appointment with a seller who does not meet the “able, ready, and willing” criteria—only because their experience has taught them how to pick out from the crowd lukewarm leads who they believe will produce business in the future, though not immediately.

A

gents don’t always know what to do when they suspect their prospects aren’t really interested in working with them. Do they pretend

everything is okay? Confront the sellers? Storm out? Mega Agent Gene Rivers, Tallahassee, Florida, has a very straightforward solution. He says to the sellers, “Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, let me ask you a question. Are you thinking about hiring an agent other than me, yes or no? Just tell me the truth.” If they suddenly get jittery and red in the neck, he knows they aren’t a sincere prospect.

But Rivers doesn’t get angry. He just says, “I’m serious, Mr. and Mrs.

Johnson. I have no problem giving you a number for your home’s value. I’m happy you asked. It’s not a problem at all. You don’t have to hire me and it won’t bug me. People ask me my opinion of value all the time who don’t hire me. I’m okay with that. I’ll give you all my information and I can get done faster and go home, be with my family, and you’ll get the information you want and you can go on and hire your other agent. My hope is if it doesn’t work out, you’ll consider me helpful and truthful and honest and direct and

you’ll hire me.”

(27)

The Cost of “No Listing” to Your Business

Ron Wexler, like so many Mega Agents, has crunched the numbers in his business planning—in this case, numbers that tell him the cost of a failed appointment, that is, one that does not produce a listing. Th e power of prequalifying has big dollar consequences for top performers. And, that phenomenon ripples right down the line to businesses of any size.

Ron reveals, “I know an hour wasted with a prospect who turns out to not be a motivated seller—between a phone call and a failed appointment—is many, many hundreds of dollars. In fact, lately that cost is more like $900. Th at’s the cost in lost business because I spent the time with someone who will not produce a paycheck for me.”

Whatever this number is for you, it’s defi nitely one to calculate and know. It’s not only good business data—it’s a huge motivator to perfect your prequalifying process.

Cultivating Lukewarm Leads

Agents diff er on whether or not they are willing to make an investment in future sellers when the eventual payoff is uncertain. Th e option is yours as to whether you make the relatively small investment to put them in your prospecting database and continue to pursue them. It’s a judgment you make from experience—a business decision about how best to use fi nite resources.

You have choices, and your business plan will dictate how to handle these leads that will not produce an immediate appointment. Here are three options.

Refer Them

(28)

Drip on Them

Another option is to put future sellers on an 8 x 8 action plan or other drip follow-up system instead of referring them. If you have a phone number for them, your drip system should absolutely include one to two personal phone calls. Personal contact can be very eff ective when used in conjunction with mail and email.

One particularly eff ective way to keep in touch with future sellers is to sign them up for the BINS built into most MLS IDX systems today. Rick Geha Mega Agent and Master Faculty member, Fremont, California, has his IDX forward future sellers any listings that are within $50,000 of the person’s estimated value of the house. Rick points out, “Our MLS systems have this capability, but how many people are using that for sellers?” It’s a great way to keep the door open to working together at a later date, while saving you the time that you would have spent on a possibly fruitless listing consultation.

See Them Anyway

It’s easy for newer agents to become overzealous in rooting out weak leads. Many top agents make a practice of courting future sellers because they feel that it produces business in the long run. Steven Gutstein, who runs his own team in Andover, Massachusetts, says he doesn’t disqualify leads who are not currently able, willing, and ready. “After all, they may be ready to sell down the road. And I certainly would like an opportunity to meet with them and hopefully convince them that I should be their Realtor of choice when the time is right. So even if they are not ready to sell right away, I still may be happy to meet with them.”

Market conditions can defi nitely impact these strategies. When transaction volume slows, the priority increasingly becomes spending time only with those who are ready to sell (and buy) now.

Top arguments agents gave for following through with a meeting on a lead that will not list today:

Prospect is in a

1. farm being actively cultivated. You want to dominate that

farm, so you will want this listing when it is ready.

Th e prospect’s home is in a price range or of a type that you have made a 2.

specialty of your listing practice.

One fi nal thought on this strategy, sometimes it produces unexpected results—a listing sooner than you expected!

(29)

Probing Seller Motivation

(30)

Close to Appointment

Techniques

If you have classifi ed the lead as one you want to pursue—as “able, ready, and willing” or someone you think has the potential to become one soon—all you have left to do is to set the appointment. Here are techniques top agents use that will help get you the appointment.

It starts with the most obvious and frequently overlooked point—ask in person.

Ask In Person

If the seller called you, they may well have some predisposition to list with you in the fi rst place. Don’t be afraid to cut to the chase and ask for an appointment up front. It sounds like you have a plan to sell. Why don’t we set a time to meet tomorrow

at 4:00 p.m. to sit down and talk through your ideas.

Some top agents have others who work with them making appointments on inbound and outbound prospect calls. However your prospecting happens, these contacts should be personal, most likely by phone. Th ey should not be impersonal—by email, for example.

Demonstrate Your Expertise Immediately

It’s never to soon to start letting the prospective seller know what you know about the overall economic and market picture that will aff ect the selling and pricing decisions they make with you.

Agents like Gary Gentry, Mega Agent and head of the Gentry Group in Austin, Texas, say they’ve learned that there is absolutely no substitute for the value of strong, detailed knowledge displayed at fi rst opportunity. It doesn’t have to take long. Th e important thing is to select a few nuggets of local or regional economic data combined with some housing market specifi cs that make it clear that, as Gary says, “data plus detail equals confi dence.” It’s a display of confi dence on your part that generates seller confi dence in you right off the top. Th e absorption rate in your

(31)

NAR research

over the years

has consistently

communicated

that the real

competition … is

getting to the table.

Their ‘eye-opening’

statistics show that

approximately

two-thirds of all

buyers and sellers

interview one

agent, and half

the remainder

interview only two.

Getting to the table

first or second is

Listen More Than You Talk

While portraying confi dence through knowledge and solid command of your scripts, be sure you show them that you know this relationship is going to be all about

them, and not about you.

Seek Agreement

Th roughout the listing cycle, you should be seeking win-win solutions, ensuring that you and the client are on the same page. If they have any reservations, you want to clear them up immediately before they become problems. Gene Rivers explains to sellers, “When we stop getting agreement, it means you’re not sure you want to go into business with me, or I’m not sure I want to go into business with you. We need to resolve it right here. Otherwise, there is no point in me going on and there’s no point in me coming to your house.”

At the same time, seeking agreement helps build in them the habit of saying “yes” to you. Th e more they’ve said “yes” before you reach a moment of truth, such as setting an appointment, signing an agreement, or closing on the home, the more likely they are to say “yes” when it matters most.

Gene points out another strategic value in constantly seeking agreement: it takes the pressure off of the fi nal closing. He says, “When we build it up to be a closing event, the pressure is on the agent, and on the client. Th ere’s a lot of pressure there—that’s why everybody is nervous about listing appointments.” Constantly seeking agreement disperses the energy and tension around the fi nal closing— turning it into countless smaller closings throughout your dialogue with your client.

Th e payoff is a smoother and more eff ective initial consultation and listing consultation. Gene says, “Since the closing actually starts at the fi rst phone call, when I get through the presentation, signing the listing agreement is almost an afterthought. Th ey have already hired me mentally way before that.”

Relationship Questions

Relationship questions are questions that allow you to seek agreement by

(32)

Trial Closes

Trial closes are questions you use to test the water—you genuinely want to fi nd out whether or not you and the client are in agreement. Th e answer might not be “yes.” But if it isn’t yes, you need to return to the issue until it is “yes.”

Trial closes can be very transparent; for example, during the initial contact, you might say, We’ve visited for a while today—let me stop and ask you a couple questions to

see where we are.

Also called a minor close, a trial close often seeks a smaller decision from the client—not the fi nal commitment.

Trial closes are tests of your growing alignment with the client. Th e answers you get are indicators of how close you are to the fi nal close. Remember, that big win might come at any time.

You’ll learn more about trial closes—and fi nal close techniques—when we cover securing the listing agreement itself.

Assumptive Closes

In an assumptive close, you make a statement based on the assumption that you will get the listing. Assumptive closes operate by aligning the client to your overall objective, which is to have them list with you.

Some agents fi nd assumptive closes too aggressive, but the key thing to remember is that you must demonstrate your responsiveness to their needs. So you can use assumptive closes to align them to your goal, but you also need to make it clear that

you are also aligned to their goals. When we stage the home for showing, we’ll want to put higher wattage bulbs in that fi xture.

Tie-downs

Tie-downs are little throwaway phrases that get the seller into affi rmative mode— phrases like “can’t you?” “wouldn’t it?” and “isn’t it?” Th ese are questions whose answer is always affi rmative.

Th ere’s a risk inherent in tie-downs though. If you use them too frequently, your clients will notice what you’re doing, won’t they? And you’ll sound like a robot, won’t you? So it would be smart to use this technique sparingly, wouldn’t it? If we

(33)

The Take Back Close

Th is technique puts something out there to the seller, but relaxes the pressure a bit by suggesting the relationship may or may not work—but it’s well worth their while to fi nd out. I’ve enjoyed talking with you. To be honest, I don’t know whether I

can be of help to you or not, but I’d be honored if we could meet to fi nd out.

The Negative-Positive Close

Th is is another way of backing into the appointment a bit, compared with more aggressive stances. Would you be off ended if I asked if we could meet to go over all this

in a little more detail?

Comparing and Combining Techniques

Trial Closes

Assumptive Closes

Tie-downs

“How are we doing?”

“Does that make sense to you?” “Would that be something you want?”

“Would that be preferable to you?”

“Can you see yourself doing that?”

“Does that seem like it would be a good outcome?”

“I can show you the fi gures at the consultation.”

“I’d like you to hide as many personal items and knick-knacks as possible while we’re showing the house.”

“We’ll do a fourteen-point marketing campaign to sell your home.”

“We’ll get you the most amount of money for the least amount of hassle in the shortest amount of time.”

Can’t you? Don’t you? Isn’t it? Wouldn’t it? Shouldn’t it?

Th e various kinds of agreement-seeking techniques are not mutually exclusive. Agents often combine them. How you approach agreement depends on your personality and on your clients. If you are comfortable investing the time and you enjoy listening, then you may rely more heavily on relationship questioning. If you have a highly goal-oriented and dominant personality, you might prefer to use more tie-downs and assumptive closes.

(34)

S

teven Gutstein chooses his words very carefully to disarm his potential clients and make them feel comfortable. He uses words and phrases like “invite,” “free,” and “no obligation” to keep the clients from feeling pressured. His script goes, “I would like to invite you to meet with me for a

free, no obligation consultation, at my offi ce, that will last about forty-fi ve minutes. At that time, I will take you through the

home-selling process, I will get familiar with your expectations and your goals, and I will give you the opportunity to be comfortable with my team so we can represent you—is that okay with you?” Th en he suggests some meeting times that work well with his schedule.

Six Simple Steps to Close

Th ese six simple lines are some of our favorites from Dave Jenks. He and Gary Keller have often used them as examples in their training sessions with agents. Th is example is intended for a conversation with someone in your Met database, a past customer—but the steps can be adapted to other types of leads as well:

Introduction: 1.

Hello, this is ______ from _______.

Empathy: 2.

I hope I haven’t reached you at a bad time.

Purpose: 3.

Th is is a business call and I won’t take much of your time.

Primary Questions: 4.

How’s the house I helped you purchase several years ago working out for you?

Follow-up Questions: 5.

Are you considering a move? or Do you know someone who is considering buying, selling, or investing in real estate?

Call to Action: 6.

Ask for the appointment, off er alternate days and times.

If I can get to

them first, I feel

confident they’ll

probably list with

me and other

appointments will

be unnecessary.

Gene Rivers

(35)

Criteria for the Appointment

When setting the appointment, there are several important issues that you need to take care of at the same time. Right now, we will assume the appointment is to take place at the property the seller is going to sell. Later, we’ll get into some important variations in, and refi nements of, the where of listing appointments.

During Daylight Hours

You’ll be better able to assess the property in the daytime—during the winter, ask your clients to leave work early if possible and meet you at 3:00 or 4:00 p.m.

With ALL Decision Makers

Make sure that all decision makers will be present at the appointment. Building rapport fi rst with one individual, then with another is awkward, especially if the people involved have disagreements about selling the house. In addition, some personality types resist ideas that they did not come up with themselves—so the fact that one partner has already agreed with you can actually be a reason for the second person to refuse to work with you.

Know Who Your Competition Is

You also need to fi nd out if you are going to have any competition. When Dianna Kokoszka fi nds out that her prospects are going to be interviewing other agents, she uses these similar dialogues.

Great, when will you be meeting with them? Do you mind if I ask who the agent is?

Her strategy is to make her appointment before strong agents and after weak agents. Strong agents can take the listing before she even has the chance to meet with the sellers, so she needs to hold her appointments before them. If she follows weaker agents, on the other hand, she’ll look that much more impressive in contrast to them.

(36)

Getting to See the Seller First, or Last?

At this point, you should assume you are trying to win the listing away from other competing agents. Naturally, they are trying to do the same to you. It’s extremely important to ask about the seller’s interviewing plans. Th ey may or may not give you the straight scoop, we’ve learned. For this reason, if Dianna Kokoszka can’t see the sellers fi rst, she asks her potential clients to promise her that no matter what any other agent may tell them to do, they will give her the chance to get in front of them and do her consultation.

Most agents we talked with in our research acknowledged that, while they may have a preference about being fi rst or last in these competitive situations, the reality is the seller is in control.

Dianna asks the sellers: So I can count on you to give me your word that, no matter

what happens and what anyone says, you are still going to allow me to meet with you, is that correct?

Dianna doesn’t stop there. She checks to make sure that they are congruent about rejecting agent pressure. Just out of curiosity, if an agent says, “I’ll give you a lower

commission if you sign right now,” would you be inclined to sign with them or would you be inclined to keep your word and meet with me?

When they agree that they would keep their word, she gives the prospective seller a script to help them. She suggests that if another agent does try to get them to sign a contract, they can just say, “No, I have given my word to Dianna to meet with her, and I am going to keep my word. If I like what you have to say better than what she says, then I’ll call you back.” Th is technique, which helps shape people’s behavior by having them imagine themselves in a critical situation, is called “future pacing.” It makes sure that the sellers are prepared to resist overbearing agents.

The “Getting to Know Them” Strategy

Many agents say they like to have more than one conversation with the prospect— before the appointment. One technique for doing this is to set a date, time, and place (call 1) which you then call back to confi rm (call 2), followed by a fi nal reconfi rm as you head to the location (call 3). Th is strategy has several advantages:

Get to know the prospect better than any competing agents do—become •

familiar to them and be seen as reliable

(37)

The “Confi rm the Appointment” Strategy

Other agents make multiple calls before going to the appointment, with a somewhat diff erent motivation. Sharon Hamilton has been an agent since 1989 and heads a family team in Santa Rosa, California. She points out that her policy of making a second followup call to her appointment, before going, is to root out sellers who have either:

Changed their mind, or are waffl ing about whether to go through with the 1.

appointment, or

Not been truthful about their fi nancial or other personal circumstances, 2.

which may mean the house won’t make a good listing. Perhaps they are really upside down in their home and were reluctant to divulge it. Maybe they are having a family disagreement about motivation of timing, the sands have shifted, and they just aren’t ready after all.

Either way, Sharon points out that a fi nal confi rming call all too often saves her time, energy, and gasoline that would have been spent on a pointless trip and a dead-end meeting.

Leads to Appointments Ratios

Many agents ask, “How many calls should I expect to be making to get an appointment?” Th ere are a number of variables. But, assuming you know your appointment-setting scripts well, and are working continuously to improve your performance with them, here’s what one top source said.

(38)

Tony breaks agents into three categories:

Agent Experience Level

Contacts Made

Appointments Set

New-1st Year 125 1

1-5 Years 62 1

5+ Years 35 1

And the goal for appointments to listings taken? Tony says MAPS coaches feel an

85 percent success rate is a realistic number for practiced agents. Th at number meshes well with other ratios top agents shared in their interviews.

Keep It Personal—You Do the Asking

Th ere’s no overestimating the importance of great lead conversion skills and performance to a real estate practice. In talking with top agents, many of whom turned over lead conversion calling to team members in recent years, we learned these leaders are turning that trend around.

“As your business grows, the last thing you should ever give up is your personal involvement in lead conversion,” cautions Bruce Hardie. “Lead conversion goes a long, long way toward making or breaking your business.”

Th ese agents who are going back to basics in their business are a model for you. You

are the closer. Don’t give that role away. It is the lifeblood of your business.

G

ary Keller still remembers his very fi rst listing appointment with a FSBO—a wonderful man. Gary recounts, “I owned a house a few doors down from where he lived and was selling it himself. I called on him and, during the connect stage, he out of nowhere just asked me, ‘Gary, what would you charge me to handle this for me?’ I was fl abbergasted.

So, I told him, took the listing, sold it in one week, closed it in about a month and have never ever had anyone just ask me that way again! For the rest of my career, I’ve had to do the asking. And unless he’s still out there buying and selling—so will you.”

(39)

How to Get More and Better Appointments

Have you been thinking about how to improve your leads to appointments ratio—and how to get more signed listing agreements from those appointments? If so, there are a number of things to work on. Jot down thoughts about how to make these things happen.

(40)

Objections—Delay,

Object, or Resist

As you go through the initial call, be on the lookout for anything that might prevent you from getting to the next step: a delay, an objection, or resistance. At this point, we’ll examine situations and some scripts that apply mainly to the initial conversation with a prospective seller. Later, in Step 3: Listing Consultation, we’ll look at objection handling in some more detail. Finally, there is a KWConnect video, Handling Listing Objections, associated with this course that shows you a listing master handling even more situation-specifi c objections.

By meeting your clients’ objections you can strengthen your relationship with them. In that way, something that can seem like a barrier actually becomes a door to a better business partnership. First, some defi nitions:

According to Dave Jenks, Keller Williams Vice President of Research and Development:

Delay

is something like “Let’s talk about this later”—it defers making a commitment.

Objection

is usually phrased in words like “We’ve got a problem with this.” Objections are active refusals to move forward.

Resistance

is “that feeling that they’re not moving forward enthusiastically. You’re pulling baggage with you. It’s not that they’re not going to the next step, but you’re pulling them to the next step.” Jenks says that you can think of it as a passive kind of objection.

Refusal to Give Information

One common objection during the initial contact phase is the refusal to give information. For example, some sellers don’t like to tell agents how much they want for their home. Dianna Kokoszka’s solution is to get the same information indirectly. When sellers tell her they don’t want to share their target price with her, she uses a dialogue similar to this. Excellent! Just out of curiosity, how much do you

(41)

Objections Related to Commission

Another common objection at this stage is commission. Many sellers insist on discussing commission before setting an appointment. Research for MREA Team:

Listing Specialist suggests that you defuse this objection. I understand how you feel, and most sellers want to net the most money possible. I’ll tell you what, why don’t we get together, get clear on your hopes and goals, and put a plan in place to get them accomplished. Th en at the end of the meeting, I’ll ask you what YOU feel our services are worth. Would that be okay? If we agree, we’ll get that plan launched right away. If we disagree, we’ll discuss it and the worst thing that can happen is that you might get a few more ideas that will help you net more money faster. Will that work for you?

Objections Related to Media Coverage

Media scrutiny of the state of real estate markets is more intense than ever before. A phenomenon in lead conversion these days is listening to prospects cite the latest headlines from newspapers, TV, and the Internet. Terry Moerler, a Mega Agent in Th ousand Oaks, California, says it’s the biggest change she’s noticed in the appointment-setting work of her team. “We have to be prepared, knowledgeable, and articulate about all the facts of our markets today. Even then, many people are sure they know more than we do—at fi rst, anyway.”

Gary Gentry says addressing media-driven objections has come more easily with increased focus on attention to detail—to becoming a true market expert and “local economist.”

Gary likes to say to fearful potential sellers, I believe you’re going to make a good

decision when you have all the facts. My job is to give you all the best and latest data about our market—so you’ll feel good later about your decision. Is that a fair statement?

Gary drills his small sales group on market knowledge. People who work for top agents are expected to know their market data, and stay on top of changes from week to week. How many homes are on the market in town? How many sold last week? What is the absorption rate (rate at which inventory is selling) currently? Is the rate headed up or down?

(42)

Objections Related to Commitment

Top agent Renee Rogers of San Antonio, Texas, reassures skittish clients by

emphasizing that the listing consultation is a free, low-pressure service. If you’re not

real sure right now, it’s no obligation; I’ll come out and I’ll spend some time with you. And it’s really just a time for you to interact with me and me to interact with you, and make sure we’re on the same page. And then if we decide we want to do something more, we’ll be there to make, you know, further arrangements.

She says that this script helps overcome three diff erent seller inhibitions:

Th ey don’t want to bother anyone until they’re ready to make a commitment. 1.

Th ey don’t want to make a commitment until they’ve had time to think 2.

about it.

Even after they’ve thought about it, they’re still nervous about making a 3.

commitment.

Th e key with these kinds of clients is to frame the listing consultation as a visit, not an interview. Rogers does these kinds of consultations as a two-part appointment. On the fi rst appointment, she focuses on building rapport with the clients—“they don’t have to worry about questioning. Th ey don’t have to worry about, oh what do I say, what shouldn’t I say. Now it’s a visit.” Rogers adds, “After one of these visits, I haven’t yet had anybody turn me down for the follow-up consultation and market analysis.”

Reluctant FSBOs

If you are working with a reluctant FSBO and you’ve had a good year, you can customize Linda McKissack’s script with your own date. We sold twenty-fi ve

properties in the amount of time your home’s been on the market. I’d love to share with you how we’ve done that.

As McKissack observes, “that’s a sexy, provocative kind of thing to say to someone.” If you can’t persuade the sellers to make an appointment with you, the key is to follow up with them. Put them on an 8 x 8 action plan and call periodically until they are ready to meet.

Top agents like Sylvie Begin, Ottawa, Ontario, point out the eff ectiveness of

(43)

Begin sees her FSBO leads as patients in need of triage, people who are hurt by their choice and need a doctor like her to diagnose what is not working and why—and then off er remedies. Over a number of years, her success in winning appointments and listings with FSBOs has become a main driver of her business. “I don’t take them all by any means,” she points out. “I get about one listing for every six FSBO appointments and I probably call at least 20 of them a week,” she says. She’s proud of the fact that her successes with these self-declared sellers have turned them into a major part of her Met database, and a big source of referrals going forward.

Objections From Expireds

Like FSBOs, sellers whose listing has expired are prospects who have already made a public statement about their desire to sell. Th ey’ve been on the market through MLS with an agent, and their home has not sold for whatever reason. It might have been priced incorrectly, marketed poorly, or there may have been communication issues with their listing agent.

At the end of the day, these people were purposeful sellers in the recent past, but may be suff ering a hangover from a bad experience. Your challenge is to refresh their enthusiasm and their belief that they can get their home sold after all—if they work with, and listen to, you.

Bruce Hardie off ers this sample script for approaching expired sellers. He probes to fi nd out as much as possible about their last listing experience, as quickly as he can. He asks questions like these: Do you still need to sell? Where are you moving to, and

when do you need to get there? Why do you think your property did not sell? Right now, we’re selling ____ properties a month. Let me show you what’s happening right now with my sellers. I promise I won’t waste your time if you think I can’t get the job done.

(44)

Th

e Appointment:

How and Where

As promised in the guide, where our research has encountered some alternative views of how to handle an important listing cycle step, we let you know the alternatives and the arguments or rationales supporting them. Where the listing appointment takes place, and whether it happens in one or two parts are both areas where top agents’ practices vary.

It’s fair to say most agents we talked with favor a single listing appointment that happens at the seller’s home. But, other top producers feel that a two-step listing appointment is best suited to their business plan and their personal style with sellers.

If you have not set a policy on these important issues in your business, top agents suggest you try alternate ways. A little experience, they say, will quickly identify the approach that’s best for you.

Two Schools of Th

ought: One-Step vs. Two-Step

In this course our listing presentation outline, and the KWConnect video Listing

Consultation are built on the model of a single listing appointment at the seller’s

home.

However, there are agents who prefer to use a two-step listing appointment. Th e two-step model includes a fi rst appointment at the seller’s home where the agent:

Has a get-acquainted chat with the sellers, often using the DISC profi le to •

assess the customers’ personal style

Tours the home to observe and note important factors impacting the sales •

price to be recommended

Makes note of any staging issues that will be part of the fi nal agreement •

Th is fi rst appointment may be an abbreviated one. Dianna Kokoszka is an advocate of the one-step approach, but she points out, “If you really need to know some property details before your meeting, I suggest asking the seller to leave a key for

(45)

Terry Moerler is an agent who uses the two-step approach. Terry acknowledges that part of her decision to go this route with sellers is a function of her personal style, and part of it relates to the amount of business she wants to have.

Terry also acknowledges that she has enough time to build her business with two-step appointments because her business model has been based on a very healthy 80–100 transactions a year. “If I were a super mega aiming for 300 or more transactions, this approach would break down on the time requirements, and I understand that,” she explains. “My listing contacts are largely coming from my Met database, from past clients or referrals from past clients. I’m almost always working with people that I have an established personal connection with of some kind.”

T

o clarify the point that business structure impacts appointment strategy, Michaelann Byerly, a listing leader in Tampa, Florida, says, “I handle all the listing appointments in my business, with a ton of help from a small but terrifi c support staff . I just wouldn’t have time in my life for two-step listing appointments, so everything is built on prequalifying in the appointment-setting phone call and prelisting packet. When I get there, I believe they will close then and there.” She adds, “One-step vs. two-step in my mind is a function of your business plan. When I went from being Team Leader in Florida back into selling, I was a veteran agent without a local database, so I turned to working almost exclusively with FSBO

and expired prospects. I wanted my team small and I felt very confi dent. I don’t have time to do the two-step appointment and I don’t feel the need given my target is customers who’ve already tried to sell. Th at’s my situation, and it’s been working for me.”

References

Related documents

The Plan table is a DB2 system table containing information about the access path such as the use of an index versus a tablespace scan, names of indexes used, sort

Shipment contracts FOB FAS CIF C F -- if contract requires the seller to ship the trout by carrier but does not require however the seller guarantee their delivery to.. When express

While a Realtor may not be able to close as quickly, you’ll have exposure to the entire market as opposed to just one buyer and therefore net top dollar for your

commission +oined the 1upreme 4ourt in improving the legal conditions that mae representative government and democratic participation possible+.. Rudol%h )'d

This term requires the seller to pay the costs and freight necessary to bring the goods to the named destination, but the risk of loss or damage to the goods, as well as any

This statement discloses the seller’s knowledge of the condition of the property as of the date signed by the seller and is not a substitute for any inspections or warranties that

We maintain a central sonification server which is responsible for serving the real- time audio streams, and preparing and serving historical and time-compressed

Seller and seller's agent make no warranties with regard to the location of the fence lines in relationship to the deeded property lines, nor does the Seller make any warranties