Real estate professionals seem to think that the buying and selling public knows all about real estate, just because they have so many real estate websites to visit.
That isn’t necessarily true.
For instance, some buyers think they can save money by buying without an agent. The idea is that the listing agent will keep only half the commission and will give the other half to the buyer.
They need to know that it doesn’t work that way – and the broker could in fact lose his or her license for paying an unlicensed person.
The next bit of misinformation is, I believe, a direct result of watching TV. Buyers across the nation have come to believe that there are thousands of homes to be purchased for a few cents on the dollar. In some areas the listing prices really ARE in that category, but… wait a minute. The listing prices already reflect that drop.
The other thing that the TV fails to reveal is that all real estate is local. If you live in Texas, prices in Arizona are completely irrelevant.
So, what can you do to inform your buyers and sellers?
You can use your newsletter, your blog, and your Doorstep reality autoresponders to send out true information. You can share the reasons for having a buyer’s agent and let those prospects know all the things you as an agent do for them… from the first viewing down to the final closing.
You can come right out and talk about the misinformation. Discussing the news on TV and how it relates to your local market will help your buyers and sellers see that not all places are alike. Then give them the real goods on your own local market.
Maybe your area wasn’t affected by the bubble at all… or maybe it is one that was hardest hit when the bubble burst. Whichever way it is, national news doesn’t tell the local story.
When it comes to your sellers… You do need to educate them about how buyers search for homes now. And I think it should be done when you first take the listing. Otherwise, they may insist on expensive newspaper ads that don’t work in your area – or on open houses that no one attends.
They also need to be educated about their own responsibility for presentation – especially if yours is an area with plenty of competition.
Some people seem to think you’re paid by the “real estate gods.”
Even with all the information out there, some buyers and sellers don’t realize that you not only don’t get a salary, you pay your own expenses. They think you drive company cars, with company gas, and that the agency pays for all your advertising.
Many simply don’t realize that while it costs you money to serve them, you don’t make any money unless you’re involved in a closing. I’d like to think that’s the reason why so many are willing to “use” you to get information – then go back to “their own agent” to make a purchase.
Rudeness is rampant. Here’s a solution for buyers who make appointments and fail to show up.
Restaurants, like real estate agents, have a problem with no-shows. In their case, it cuts into revenue because they’ve turned away reservations in order to hold a table for rude people who simply don’t show up. In your case, you’ve gone through a lot of trouble making appointments and re-arranged your schedule to accommodate them. Your sellers and possibly even your own family members have rearranged their time as well.
One restaurant I read about reduced their no-show problem by more than 50% by adding one simple line to their conversation when making reservations.
That line was “Will you call me if you are unable to keep this reservation?” Because the reservations clerk waited for the answer and got people to actually commit to calling, the incidents of no-shows went down dramatically.
In your case, it would be good to say “Will you call me at least X hours in advance if you won’t be able to make this appointment?” Then get their commitment before you end the conversation.
Of course, it also wouldn’t hurt to follow my dentist’s example. His office staff calls the day before an appointment, just to confirm and make sure patients haven’t forgotten.