1:42 Minute Read. Ever get the feeling your buyer will never make an offer on a house? Buying a home is a process. And every agent needs a simple plan to move clients forward in that progression. Here are 4 great questions to ask buyers to determine whether they are really in the market to purchase a home or just shopping around. “Have you talked to a mortgage lender yet?” Ability - Connecting with a lender is the first step in the process of buying a home. If they don’t have

1 min 23 sec read. There is a reason good clients keep calling you to handle another transaction for them. They like your approach, character, intelligence, persistence and professionalism. You’re not likely to hear they called you because you’re a great down-seller. But clever real estate agents know how to harness this technique. What is down-selling? It is removing all external pressure from clients so that they can find their own internal reasoning for purchasing. It is d

1:47 Minute Read. Clients are counting on you to lead them through the home-buying process. They have questions and don’t know where to start. Educating them early in your relationship puts everyone at ease, builds loyalty, and creates a shared vocabulary. “Listen carefully. Your client will tell you when it’s time to start closing the deal.” If you meet new clients for the first time at the home you’re touring - as I do, here’s a great way to get the relationship started r

1:43 Minute Read. He wants mid-century modern. She wants a 2 story colonial. And their agent just wants to earn a living. Getting a couple on the same page takes finesse. This little activity might work wonders. Getting a couple to agree often starts with getting them to use the same language. Some folks are so deeply committed to their wishlist they cannot see beyond it. Other times, there are mechanisms rooted in the relationship and those issues surface during high stress

1:27 Minute Read. Quick: List how many potential buyers are on your list. How do you separate “good” clients from those who might waste your time? Newbie agents think every lead is equal. However, experienced agents qualify their leads and arrange their client list based on who is ready to buy. The sooner you sort out the real buyers from the tire kickers, the less time you will waste spinning your wheels. Here are 4 questions to ask every potential buyer to help sort them ou

1:27 Minute Read. Here’s a valuable lesson about selling real estate. It has guided me throughout my career. This advice is 100% correct and always helpful. If you apply it correctly, you can know exactly when to close a sale, how to close that sale and when to walk away. It’s a simple short story that goes like this: There are two sisters that accompany you on every home showing. Their names are Emotion and Reason. “Rule #1: All purchases are emotionally based.” Your client

1:30 Minute Read. Most lenders get their mortgage funds from the same pile of money. The difference they charge is a combination of buyer risk factors and lender commissions. So, before offering advice about any lender, take the time to understand your client’s financial needs. Basically, clients (and their accompanying lenders) come in two sizes: Our first type of client has high credit scores, stable employment and is squeaky clean financially. Often, these folks already ha

When cautioning new agents, every broker has used the phrase, “Buyers Are Liars”. But, it’s not true. Sure, we have all watched buyers explain exactly what they are looking for and then inexplicitly purchase a house that is nothing like what their wish list described. It happens. Even if it doesn’t rhyme well, I think the truer statement would be, “Agents need to be more observant” It took me awhile to figure out the science behind their buying patterns, and here’s what I lea

I’ve been blessed to have several investors as clients. While it takes extra effort to serve them, they will pay you in spades through extra commissions. Investors come in two sizes – flippers and landlords. Here’s a few lessons to help your land-lording clients build a profitable portfolio. Kenny Rhoton was an old, crusty real estate investor back in the day. While others were stuffing money into 401(k)s, he amassed rental property. By the time he passed away, he owned more

After the dinner table is cleared and the sun sets, Ruthie and I wander indoors to watch TV. Like so many others, we tune into HGTV to watch Chip and Joanna or Terek and Christina transform old, worn-out houses into great living spaces. So do many of our clients, and it is changing the way we all do business. Buyer expectation levels are at an all-time high. Is it just me? Are you seeing it too? First time homeowners have unrealistic views of homeownership. Most homes we show