How to handle a cold call from potential Buyer:
Pay attention to what the buyers ask and say when they call and inquire about your house. Asking questions, listening to buyers, and using your experience to read between the lines, can make it easier to communicate with buyers and later to negotiate the contract with them to get the best price and the best terms!
The first step to showing your house is converting that call on the house into an appointment to see the house or at least to get the caller’s name, address, phone and if possible email address to follow up.
When a potential buyer calls on your house you want to get them to come and see it. Do not try to sell it over the phone! This is a BIG mistake. Answer their questions and then immediately respond with a powerful follow up question. Find out where they are living now, are the renting or do they own? If they own ask if they need to sell their house or if they already have sold their house? This will tell you how urgent their need is to find a house to buy.
Have they been prequalified or pre-approved and is your house in their price range? These are the good questions that will help you know that buyer a little better and you won’t be wasting your time with buyers that do not qualify to buy your house. By asking probing questions, you will also find out the information you can use to build urgency and set the appointment while creating an opportunity for the relationship between you to build. You may not want to ask too soon for the appointment.
Work on building up rapport, listening to their needs and gathering more information. Once you have done that, then asking for the appointment is a logical next step and easier for the potential buyer to feel comfortable about setting up. At this point there is usually no resistance it becomes just a matter of when to set the date and time.
Sample Questions you can ask the Potential Buyer:
Are you familiar with our neighborhood?
How long have you been looking for a new home?
How many are in your family?
Then you have ___children.
May I ask their names and ages?
Where do you live now?
How long have you lived there?
Do you own your home now or are you renting?
(if they answer that they own then ask…)
Is your house on the market too?
How soon do you want to move?
May I ask, Mr./s._____________ where are you employed?
How long have you been there?
After you have spent a little time talking to the buyer and establishing if your house could be a good fit your asking for the appointment could go like this,
“Sounds like this house might be a great fit! When would you like to come and see the house? Monday at 2pm or 7pm”(give them two options to choose from, do not make them come up with a time or date. Provide them with a date and two times you are available to show it and give them those options. If neither of those are good for them offer them two more) Use the calendar you prepared with dates available to show house. But be flexible if the potential buyer says “I’m only in town today and I would like to see your house at 6pm today”, you really need to try to accommodate this buyer.)
If they object to the appointment, then get their e-mail address and you need to have something else of value that you can send. Perhaps your flyer or your blog address.
Remember, there are 2 goals from the phone call — Get an appointment if at all possible but be sure to get their name, address, and phone number or get their email address to follow up with them.
You’ve got that appointment!
Great!
Keep up the great work!
Good Luck!
WHAT TO DO WHEN A BUYER IS COMING TO SEE YOUR HOUSE : )
Have a family game plan for prepping for showing- dust the table, put the dishes in the dishwasher, have kids clean their rooms, hide those damp pantyhose hanging on the shower rod -
Don't dare apologize about the condition of your house! (This will start buyers out on a negative)
****Remove pets from the house, or at least, keep them outside. Pets under foot will quickly put a damper on an otherwise positive showing.
****Make sure that everything is spotless. Pay particular attention to the bathrooms and the kitchen. In the bathrooms, towels should be fresh and clean, sinks and baths scrubbed, and the floor freshly cleaned. In the kitchen, make sure all dishes are put away and countertops and sinks cleaned. No clutter, No clutter, No clutter
****Make sure the house smells good. Baking cookies, often recommended, may be overdoing it, but pet odors, smoke, or greasy cooking odors definitely will not work! Air out the house just before the scheduled showing, but close the windows (unless it is a perfect day) before they arrive.
****Set your thermostat at a comfortable temperature -this is not the time to economize.
****Light a fire in the fireplace to set the mood.
****Turn on lights in each room- brightens up your house.
****Send children to play at the neighbors (if possible).
****Keep out of sight when your house is being shown- buyers feel uncomfortable when you're around. The benefit is they can more easily imagine the house as their own when you're not right there with them. Do not follow them around. Don’t try to sell them on features. Let them discover your house for themselves...
****Never volunteer information (you won't be there if you follow the previous tip). Resist the urge to tell them how great it is to have a bus stop out front for your children, as you may learn later that the prospective buyers have no children, work the evening shift and love to sleep in late in the morning.
****Don't be compelled to apologize for what you may see as one of your house's weaknesses, you may be moving because of the traffic noise of that newly built highway, yet the buyer may be moving in your area because of the very proximity of the highway for quick commuting. Let the buyer discover your house for themselves. Let them do the job of selling it to themselves.
****Make sure Fact Sheets and Disclosures are available and easily accessible. (The dining room table or island in the kitchen are ideal places for them. It’s a good idea to create a little sales center with plat, survey, flyers, disclosures and any other information you want the buyer to see.)
****Don’t forget****
When the potential buyer arrives,
ask them for their identification.
Preferably a driver’s license.
Confirm the information and make
sure it matches what they told you!
Hold it while they look at the house.
SAFETY
FIRST
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Copyright©Oct 1, 2009 forsalebyownerhow2 abef Blake Enterprises
Information deemed to be reliable although not guaranteed
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