by Bob Boog
Special to Realty/Builder Connection
Here are 17 things an agent should know. You already know them, but why not clip them out and post them above your desk ... just as a reminder?
1. Give full attention to clients. Make them feel, “You are very important to me!”
2. Be professional. Your speech and actions should reflect professionalism.
3. Diligently prequalify buyers. It’s a crime to have a buyer fall in love with a home that they cannot afford.
4. Offer something extra to clients. Something of value (comparable sales information, moving tips and/or a free coupon for a home warranty. is always appreciated. Don’t go overboard, though. Some agents try to buy business by offering a free credit report, $900 cash and a free steak dinner. Yet more mileage might be gained by simply offering a free credit report. Then a week after escrow closes, showing up at your client’s work with a thank-you note and a coupon for a free steak dinner. Everybody at your client’s work will know about that great real estate person, won’t they?
5. Get passionate about your job. Know financing so well that you could teach a class in it. Or send clients to someone else who is an expert and study from that person. You want to be able to have fun selling homes, and educating buyers about financing is part of making sales happen.
6. Allow buyers the freedom to select neighborhoods that they wish to see that are in their price range. Don’t steer them.
7. Give information regarding schools, shopping, entertainment to clients. Some agents create referral directories including phone numbers for local painters, printers, handymen, tax professionals, etc. What have you prepared for your clients?
8. Know how to sell without using pressure. Ironically, in order to do this you need to know how to sell with pressure. This means creating a “personal success library”. Buy books and tapes on your profession. Don’t just store them in the trunk of your car. Create a special shelf at home where you can refer to them often. This is where you’ll place all your books and tapes on selling. Buy a 3-ring binder so as you continue to collect fresh material from the Internet, you can keep the ideas organized. Before you know it, your success library will span an entire bookcase!
9. Allow buyers as much time as possible to make a decision.
10. Know how to write a purchase agreement that best represents the buyer’s interests. Remember that this is a legally binding agreement.
11. Stay on top of transactions and step on toes if necessary in order to fight for your buyer. Constantly communicate with clients, escrow officers, and listing agents via fax and telephone.
12. Help clients arrange home inspections. Give three phone numbers of reputable companies but realize that every six months or so you should check to see if any complaints have been filed against them. You don’t want a lawyer to later accuse you of recommending a home inspector who was listed in the “Who’s Who of Incompetent Repairmen”.
13. Be there to help the client do a thorough walk-through inspection.
14. Provide a list of utility service company phone numbers.
15. Keep in contact after escrow has closed. No question is “dumb” if the answer is important to a client.
16. Don’t be afraid to ask “dumb” questions on behalf of your clients. If you don’t know how something is supposed to work, admit it and say, “this may be a dumb question but...”
17. Last, but not least, you need to tell your clients: “If you think that I’m not doing something right, please let me know. I can’t correct a problem if I don’t know that one exists.” By making this statement, your clients know that you really do care about them!
– Bob Boog is the author of “Selling Homes 1-2-3,” which is available at Amazon.com.