5 easy ways for agents to impress Buyers and Sellers
If Buyers and Sellers have one thing in common, it’s that they want their agents to impress them. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you have to move heaven and earth to do so. Use these five simple tips to make sure your relationship with Buyers and Sellers starts off on the right foot.
Always be on time
Being on time is one of the easiest and most effective ways to impress clients. It shows them that you respect them and understand how important their decisions are. Being late for meetings or showings can set off alarm bells for your clients. They may wonder whether you’ll be late on other things, such as filing important paperwork or making an offer.
If you’re going to be late because of an emergency, contact your clients immediately. Make sure that you don’t overload your day-to-day schedule with too many clients. Few things are more frustrating to Buyers and Sellers than learning that you were late because of someone else. It makes them feel like some clients are more important than they are.
Know your market
Your knowledge of the market is something that Buyers and Sellers want you to boast about. Sellers want you to be able to explain property values and why those values are what they are. For instance, what a Seller may consider a unique aspect of their home could be more of an eyesore in a specific market. Knowing these facts and how to explain them will position you as an expert who’s looking out for their best interests.
Buyers will likely want to know about the neighborhood’s school systems, crime rates, and what future development might look like. Those are givens. But you can really stand out by recommending restaurants, local businesses, and hidden gems for leisure and entertainment. Some Buyers will expect you to be more than just a real estate agent—they may also want you to be an unofficial concierge.
Show them your values
Buyers and Sellers want to work with people they like. When putting together your pre-listing pitch, you’ll certainly want to talk about your success, expertise, and market knowledge. But Buyers and Sellers—especially of younger generations—will want to know what your higher purpose is. Sharing your values with them (without getting too granular) is a good way to differentiate yourself.
Educate without overwhelming them
One of your most important responsibilities as an agent is to educate your clients. It’s how you show your expertise, build trust, and help them make the best decisions for themselves. However, be careful not to go overboard. The process of buying and selling is emotional. If your clients get an information overload, they may feel like you’re trying to pressure them into something.
This is where your communication skills will really come into play. Be especially observant of non-verbal cues from your clients. If you sense that they’re acting differently after you’ve provided them with information, be sure to step back and refocus by asking them, “What do you think about that?” This is an easy way to get your clients to talk about their worries while assuring that the information you’re giving them is useful.
Provide or recommend a home warranty
Many first-time Buyers and Sellers won’t know what a home warranty is or how it protects them unless you tell them. Providing or recommending a home warranty from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty (2-10 HBW) can be the thing that really gets your clients raving about you. Consider an anecdote from a younger Buyer.
Our agent did an incredible job throughout the process. As we were going over all the paperwork, she told me that she was including a home warranty for us. She said that she does so for all her clients because a lot of times, that first year is financially tough. She gave me an overview and explained that if something like my furnace broke down, it could help me fix it cheaply.
I had no idea what a home warranty was before this, but I liked it because it was included as a part of closing. After we moved in, my neighbor came over to help me do some maintenance on my furnace, because he had the same kind. He told me that he installed this furnace about 20 years ago—the same time as the people I bought the house from—and that his had broken down earlier that winter. He said it cost him over $1,000 to fix it.
At first, I panicked, because I couldn’t really afford a problem. But when I saw that my home warranty covered furnace problems at a much, much lower cost, it was a relief.
2-10 HBW offers comprehensive systems and appliances home warranties to help protect your clients from unexpected repair and replacement costs. Contact us to learn more.
