This Memo is a continuation from last week when we discussed the C-L-M (Come-List-Me) call and the S-I-F (Seller-Information-Form), a guide to all the information you need for your listing appointment.

Here’s how to explain why you need their email addresses:

“I’m going to send you a link from our system showing ALL of the recent comparable sales so that you can view each one of them in detail before our appointment.” – This piques their interest.  They WANT this information!

“This will save time during the appointment.” – Everyone wants to save time!

“The reason I need both your email addresses is because different email servers have different levels of security for messages containing links, so I want to make sure that at least one of you receives the information.” – True and totally understandable!

Having both email addresses (for a typical situation with two decision-makers) also increases the odds that...

“Hello, this is Sammy Seller.  I’d like to speak with you about listing our home.”

Yay!  This is the best phone call!  Right?

I remember getting this call at times and being so excited, I lost my mind and forgot to ask all kinds of important questions.

To resolve this, I made a simple Seller Information Form (SIF) with space for the following information:

• Name(s) – The caller and every other decision-maker
• Address (!)
• Phone number(s) – Just in case I need to clarify something before the appointment
• Email address(es) – Stay tuned for a very important ‘Real Agent Memo’ next week about why you should send the Sold Comparables by email before the Listing Presentation
• Referral source – If it wasn’t a referral, use this space to specify why they called you – It’s important to track the source of your business, for future reference
• Appointment Date and Time - Make sure every decision-maker is...

“Is this your price or their price?”

Every experienced REALTOR® has heard this question and knows exactly what it means, “Is this the price you recommended to your clients?

Or, the one they insisted on, despite the evidence that clearly shows it makes no sense?”

As a general rule, EVERYONE on the planet believes their home is worth more than it actually is.  There are several reasons for this:

1. In the owner’s eyes, their home was the best one available within their budget and within their search criteria, at the time when they purchased it.
2. Buyers subconsciously justify the price they paid, and tend to believe they got a “good deal.”
3. Owners tend to focus on the best features of their property, either ignoring or justifying negative features, “Oh, the sound of the train is quite soothing once you get used to it!”
4. For competing properties, they tend to do the opposite; focusing on the worst features, and ignoring the best...

You know those “lucky” REALTORS® who always seem to get what they want? 

That’s not luck!

Those agents have mastered the skill of recognizing different communication styles, and they’ve learned to adapt their style to match.

In any relationship-based business, this is likely the #1 most important skill you can develop, and it’s not nearly as hard as you might think once you set your mind to it.

Let’s start by identifying the four main communication styles, as shown here:

The horizontal axis measures assertiveness and pace, and the vertical axis measures responsiveness and whether a person is more relationship-oriented or more task-oriented.

Now, let’s look closer at the different communication styles and consider how you might alter your style to communicate with other styles more effectively.

1. The Analytical

Analytics are information oriented, and they have a keen eye for detail. They have a deductive reasoning process and will...

Do you dread analytical questions about the market? 

Do you struggle with how to explain to clients how the market may affect the sale of their property?

Do you have over-priced listings right now that are stressing you out?

Keep reading, and I’ll solve ALL these problems for you.

Personally, I always thought that having a clear understanding of current market conditions was the #1 most important part of my listing presentation.

In my local market, we have a high percentage of analytical types, including thousands of engineers and other scientific people.  But these are not the only people who appreciate this type of information.  Studies have shown that a very significant percentage of the population have a preference for analytical thinking.

If you’re not giving these people what they want, you are most definitely limiting your potential. 

It’s not as hard as you might think to put together a Market Analytics section for your listing...

There are a few key attributes that are clear indicators of your future or current success as a professional REALTOR®.

One of the TOP FIVE is being a rapid responder.

I once called a REALTOR® and got this voice mail, “This is Joe Sloe.  Please leave a message, and I’ll return your call within two business days.”

LOLOLOLOLOL!

I rolled my eyes and hung up, without leaving a message.  I’m sure that 95% of his potential clients did the same.

He might as well have said, “This is Joe Sloe.  I’m super important and I’ve got better things to do than return your phone call.  If I think it’s worth my while, perhaps I’ll call you back.” 

That phone message is terrible, but there’s something that is far worse:

Crickets.  The complete and total non-response.

And, I’m not talking about just phone calls.  The same applies to emails and text messages.

You might be saying to yourself,...

I just looked up “candid” in the dictionary:

candid – truthful and straightforward; frank, “His responses were remarkably candid”

I’ve had numerous past clients tell their friends this exact phrase about me, on several occasions, “He’s remarkably candid."

But here’s my question: Why is it “remarkable” to be candid?  Wouldn't life be so much easier if we were all candid with each other?

If you’ve ever gotten an email from me, you’ll notice a quote at the bottom, “Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value. – Albert Einstein”

I’ve always tried to run my life this way, which served me well during my Real Estate career.  I’m no Einstein—that’s for sure—but his message rings true to my core values.

As a REALTOR®, I always told my clients the straight up truth, without any regard to whether my response...

The inspiration for this post is an email I read this morning, paraphrasing slightly:

“How to put a rosy spin on a negative market”

What?  Why would you NOT want your clients to know the straight-up truth about the market?  I don’t get it.

How are your clients supposed to make informed and intelligent decisions, based on Bogus Spin (BS)?

Let’s stop here for a minute and verify what kind of REALTOR® you are:

1. My job is to assist my clients to achieve the best possible result, depending on their unique circumstance, without regard to my own personal gain, or;
2. My job is to tell my clients whatever I need to tell them, in order to squeeze out one more commission check for myself.

If you chose “b”, why are you reading this?  Go tell your clients how rosy the market is.  Good-bye.

If you chose “a”, here’s how and why you should always be straight-up truthful with everyone, no matter what:

If your client is a...

I hate “slicksters” and so does the public. 

If you want to be regarded as a trusted advisor, you can forget all about memorizing stupid scripts to overcome objections. 

Whenever a salesperson uses a script on me, I’m completely turned off and I resolve to never buy from that person.  What about you?

It’s no wonder that so many Real Estate agents are regarded as being deceitful, dishonest, and untrustworthy. 

You’re not a sleazy telemarketer.  Are you?

You decide.

I’m not saying you should just roll over, every time you get an objection.  Just handle it with an honest and sincere response.  And realize that sometimes people have legitimate objections that don’t require a “come-back”.

If you learn to present to potential clients in a way that shows them How Real Estate Really Works, you’ll not only eliminate almost all objections, but you will completely differentiate yourself from the...