15 Ways to Help Buyers Reach a Decision
SERVICING THE BUYER
1. Respect what your buyers can afford. Don’t waste their time on homes far outside their price range.
2. Preview the houses before you show them. Encourage buyers to do the same if information is available on the Internet.
3. Don’t show too many houses—if people see more than five or six, they can easily become confused.
TIP: Develop a simple checklist of the buyers’ main criteria and use it to qualify each house and to make notes about special features or problems. —Courtesy of real estate columnist Ralph Roberts, Ralph Roberts Real Estate, Warren, Mich.
4. Plan the route you use to approach each house. Showing off the neighborhood and its amenities is a great way to prepare buyers for the house.
5. Drive with the buyers in one car, and use the drive time to overcome objections and to set the scene for the next property.
6. Remind buyers that every house is a compromise. Buyers always envision more than they will eventually buy.
7. Tell buyers about major negatives they will see and start to defuse the problem early.
8. Help buyers see the possibilities. Visualize ways that a less-than-perfect house could be changed to meet buyers’ needs.
9. Don’t overwhelm buyers with too much information too rapidly; people won’t comprehend it all and will feel that you’re not listening to them.
10. Create involvement in the house by pointing out places existing furniture could fit or how well a particular feature of the house would fit with the buyers’ lifestyle.
11. Allow enough time for buyers to really explore a house; don’t hurry unless they do.
12. Never get caught in the middle of a disagreement between the buyers. Remain neutral, and let them work it out.
13. Don’t jump to respond to every objection. Be sure it’s a major stumbling block. Some concerns are so minor they don’t stand in the way of a sale.
14. Don’t waste time on the wrong house. If the buyers obviously don’t like the place, cut the inspection short and move on.
15. Answer an objection with a question. This helps buyers understand what the real issue is and may show them an answer on their own.
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