It’s common practice for a perspective home seller to interview 3 agents before choosing one to represent them. Yet, when it comes to selecting a buyer’s agent, a perspective buyer will either,
- Feel obligated to work with the first agent that calls them back or,
- Feel no obligation at all, and bounce around from one agent to the next
Neither of these outcomes is logical. Shouldn’t a buyer make the decision based on the agent they feel is most capable of meeting their needs? After all, isn’t this one of the most important decisions they will make in their lifetime? Perhaps the outcome is a result of a buyer not being advised of a better approach. Why not take the initiative and educate your buyers on the steps they should take to select the best agent? The next you meet with a buyer, use the following approach:
- Ask the buyer if they have had an opportunity to interview 2-3 agents.
- Remind the buyer that because their purchase involves a great deal of money and is one of the most important decisions they will ever make, it only makes sense to select an agent they feel with best represent them.
- Once the buyer agrees with the logic behind your strategy, use your “warm-up” skills to gather information and build rapport.
- Finally, encourage the buyer to let other agents know that they have established a relationship with you.
If a buyer chooses to do business with another agent, you should ask yourself, “What could I have done better?” Besides, the more practice you have building rapport, the better you will be at it.