Buyer Arguments – I Wish I Would Have Met You Last Year

There’s an old cliché about investing; “Timing is everything”. This philosophy has proven to be accurate time and time again. We also know that most people are motivated more by the fear of loss than they are by looking at what they have to gain. In other words, when it comes to decisions, the fear of loss has a much greater impact than the ecstasy from gain.

Let’s combine both of the above approaches and apply them to the present market conditions for buyers. We know that real estate appreciated by double-digits in most price points last year. If you had met the buyer last year and could have persuaded them to buy, they could have saved tens of thousands, and maybe even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

There’s nothing the buyer can do about the extra money they have to pay because they too long (timing). But, if they buy today, they will avoid having to pay a lot more next year (fear).

In the above example, we’ve used the recent past to project an even higher price the buyer will pay if they wait. The fear of having to pay a higher price later on creates the urgency for the buyer to buy now.

You can also double-down on fear motivation by pointing out that an increase in the number of sales and subsequent reduction in inventory levels will limit the selection the buyer will have in the future. The overall effect on the buyer could be paying a lot more for a home they won’t like near as much.

Because the timing to buy is still ideal, pointing out the risk of waiting longer and losing even more should stimulate immediate action.