Another Way to Say: “You ARE worth it”
It is hard to get a listing, but business-wise, that is the goal. The more listings you have, the more buyer leads you generate, and that propels your business. When all of your hard work begins to pay off and you find yourself meeting with sellers on a listing appointment, you will do your form of listing presentation. See this post to get ideas on ways to successfully get the listing.
If you begin by asking questions and follow their lead, rather than reciting a rehearsed script, you have a better chance of connecting with the seller and finding a way to solve their problem. Despite stealth listening skills and superior problem solving skills, sometimes a seller will balk at your commission and say that it is too high. You can’t prevent them from trying to negotiate it down, but you need to be prepared so you can answer and get paid what you are worth.
You are worth it
Be confident in what you have to offer and why you are charging your named fee. If you are unsure and waver on your value, it will be really hard to convince the seller that you are worth your fee.
10 Skills in real estate business that are worth it- pick the ones you have and highlight them. Develop the ones you don’t and then discuss them with your seller so he can see the value in hiring you.
1. Negotiate contracts – skills in real estate business
Dude, Zillow is never going to be able to negotiate an Agreement of Sale. An offer is made up of a bunch of moving parts. It is way more than the sales price, and I have read and studied that agreement of sale and know it by heart. I negotiate them for a living and have experience representing both buyers and sellers. I know how the other side thinks, and that is an advantage that you can take to the bank.
2. Automate showings – skills in real estate business
No matter how great your property is, if people can’t see it, they can’t make an offer. Stick with me and I will make sure your property is easy to show to every qualified buyer. I use a showing desk that keeps track of all showings, verifies agents and asks for feedback. I will listen to you and your concerns and come up with a plan to make showings as non disruptive as possible.
3. Advice on how to get your home market ready – skills in real estate business
You live in your house and it shows. That’s a great thing when you come home from work to chill with your family, but can end up hurting you when it is time to sell. Let’s walk through and find the simplest way to make your house show ready while still being the place you go to relax. And let’s get it sold fast so you can leave the dirty coffee cups in the sink again and be on time for work.
4. Keep you out of court – skills in real estate business
Well, we live in a litigious society, so there aren’t really any guarantees, but I can and will make sure you are in compliance with the law when selling your house. There are disclosure laws in place that you must comply with, and the protections of Fair Housing laws are so much wider than most people can imagine. Despite the best of intentions, it’s too easy to unknowingly violate one of these laws and get tangled up in a mess. I won’t let that happen. I know these regulations and will keep you informed every step of the way to minimize your chances of getting in trouble.
5. I play nice with others – skills in real estate business
chances are that the buyer for your house is going to be represented by her own agent, and I pride myself on working well with other agents. Rather than having attitude and treating the buyer’s agent as an adversary, I welcome them to bring an offer and work with them to negotiate a deal that is fair, open and honest and will get us to the settlement table with smiles on our faces. All of this is done with your best interests in mind while taking the buyer’s needs into consideration so we can come up with an agreement that works.
6. We are the champions my friend! – skills in real estate business
I have a great team, and we rock. From mortgage lenders to home inspectors, from insurance agents to roofers, I have the best of the best in my network and they are at your disposal. It takes a team effort to see you through this transaction, and I have assembled the best of the best.
7. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer – skills in real estate business
Part of my job is to help you set the asking price for your house. Appraisers look at recently sold similar houses in order to determine the value of yours. That’s fine for the bank’s needs, but in order to get your house sold for the highest possible price, we need to know the competition. Most agents follow the appraiser’s model and check out the sold listings, good agents might look on the MLS to take a glance at similar houses on the market, but that isn’t good enough for me.
I am going to actually tour all of the active properties, and I am going to offer to take you with me. We need to walk through and look at them through the eyes of a buyer so we can see how your house compares to the one for sale down the street. I won’t list a house without doing this step, and now that I have explained it to you, you shouldn’t list with anyone who doesn’t complete this extra step.
8. Your new BFF – skills in real estate business
We are in this together, and you will be seeing me and hearing from me. A lot. Not only will I be giving you updates and feedback, I will be reaching out to you on the regular even if it is to report that there is nothing to report. You have my cell phone number and I expect you to use it. We are a team and I am in this until we cross the finish line. Together.
9. I am the Mafia – skills in real estate business
I represent you and have your best interests at the forefront of everything I do, every interaction I have with potential buyers and other agents. I will disclose everything about the house and work tirelessly to get the deal done, but when it comes to discussing the seller and your motivations, I am the Mafia. I keep my mouth shut and guard you and your privacy with my life. I shouldn’t even have to emphasise this- it is part of my fiduciary duty to you, but I mention it here because I unfortunately see it happen all the time. Buyers walk into a property and by nature want to know all about the seller and why they are selling. A skilled agent will direct their attention back to the house and not discuss the seller at all, but an unskilled or insecure agent will indulge the buyer and start discussing the seller and their motivations.
No matter how small a detail about the seller and their reason to sell, this information can end up harming you. I take my duty of confidentiality seriously and live by the motto always discuss the bricks and never the people who live in them
10. To infinity and beyond – skills in real estate business
It’s me and you kid, all the way to settlement and beyond! Getting a signed offer is great, but we still have a lot of work to do to get you to closing. From paperwork to packing, you will need help and guidance, and I will be there every step of the way to see you through the process. And our relationship doesn’t end at the settlement table. I’ll be checking in on you after closing to make sure all is well, and then periodically after that. And I am always a call or text away if you need anything from plumbers to party planners. Real estate is a people business, and I am in the business of people.
Remember that you are worth it. Even if you are just beginning your career, you have a higher level of knowledge than most people. You went to school, took an exam, and you may even have closed a few deals. That experience has value and I hope that you know your worth.
It’s OK to negotiate your commission down if your broker allows and if you feel that it’s a smart business decision. It’s also OK to walk away if a seller won’t pay you what you know you are worth. This is a personal choice that you need to make on a case by case basis. Just remember this: Every time you choose to do something, you are choosing to not do everything else.
What I mean by this is that time is limited. If you chase a deal and list a property for less than you know you are worth, the time you spend on that is time you could’ve been spending on finding a listing that will pay you what you were worth.
Be confident in yourself and the choices you make. You have value, all you have to do is show that to the world.
