Special offer

"Our Clients Are On Sale Today...Would You Like to Buy Some?"

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Lola Audu~Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI Real Estate

It's one of those mornings when I'm rushing around trying to get too many things done before I head out the door.  Yet, my eye catches the flash of my phone which I've turned OFF precisely to avoid this type of distraction. I can't help myself.  I pick up the call.

The voice on the other line is friendly...and unfamiliar.  I instantly regret my mistake in picking up the phone. He launches into a sales pitch. This guy is good!  He starts out by telling me that he's got referrals that he has to get placed today.  Folks are coming in to Kentwood, Michigan and he needs to find an agent to help them.  Could he interest me?

  Cheap Love by glindsay65.

 

I cut to the chase. "So...how much is this gonna cost?" Without hesitation, he answers..."only $99 per placement.  And if they don't work out, we'll replace them with a guaranteed fit.  In fact, we're so confident about our product, that I want you to know about a special deal.  Our clients are FOR SALE today!  We'll give you 10 of them for only $990!  WOW!

It's the phrase 'clients for sale' which stuns me momentarily.  I have never thought of the people I serve as products which I can trade or sell for profit.  He takes my silence as interest and continues.  "In fact, we're so confident about our service, we'll guarantee you ONE sale out of the 10.  All for $990!

I wonder WHO these clients are?  Did they consent to be used for chattel?  Are they aware that their names and the hopes and dreams they expressed when they filled in the innocent looking boxes for assistance with their home search would result in their information being sold and traded on the real estate referral market place?

And then I think about the agents who are going to buy these names today.  Sinking hard earned dollars for the hope of landing perhaps one real estate deal. And I guess one could do the arithmetic and figure that you'd be ahead if you spent $990 and got a deal that netted several thousand in commission perhaps...

But what's lost in the frenzy of boiler rooms filled with fast talking sales persons looking for the next sucker willing to part with some money, is the fact that real estate referrals are NOT really about selling people's names and data. It's about creating human relationships which begin through a need for service. People refer people whom they know, like and respect to others whom they know. Genuine Referrals are personal. And that's why things become a little dicey when we take the referral relationship out of the personal context.

It's also why social media and sites like Active Rain are so incredibly powerful.  Through blogging, engaging with people on the network through comments, building relationships on sites like  Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, answering questions as a local expert on Trulia, Zillow or Localism, we put into place the powerful personal building blocks which create authentic communication.  

Over the next couple of days, a small group of individuals will be taking the time to understand how to do this effectively.  Relationship skills are not a hit or miss proposition.  Anyone who has enjoyed vibrant relationships in their personal or professional lives knows that it takes work.  This applies to the online virtual world too.  

And NO...there is no such thing as a CLIENT SALE.  Yes, you can be sold a name, and address and a list of criteria...but that is an entirely different thing than being connected with a genuine Referral.

If you're in Grand Rapids, MI and want to stop in, check us out here...(April 16th & 17th @ the Country Inn & Suites ~ East, 3251 Deposit Drive, Grand Rapids, Mi)  wwww.auduhomes.com (Click Education tab to download registration info)

Picture courtesy of glindsays65 on Flickr with Creative Commons license.

Copyright 2009  Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

  

 

 

Comments (81)

Terry & Bonnie Westbrook
Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner - Grand Rapids, MI
Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re

They pretend to be surprised when I say I won't pay. Working on real referrals is much more rewarding.

Apr 16, 2009 01:22 PM
Anonymous
Celeste Chism

Cute Story but true. I guess we don't slow down long enough sometimes to think about what going on and write such a good blog.

Apr 16, 2009 01:53 PM
#64
Bob & Carolin Benjamin
Benjamin Realty LLC - Gold Canyon, AZ
East Phoenix Arizona Homes

This whole notion of clients for sale never gets any money from us ---- not from these "canned" guys.

Apr 16, 2009 01:54 PM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

And they get so annoyed with me when I tell them "no thanks" and hang up.  I have actually had some call back... 

Apr 16, 2009 02:52 PM
Kerry Lucasse
eXp Realty - Urban Nest Real Estate Group - Atlanta, GA
Your Urban Nest Atlanta Real Estate Consultant

I couldn't agree more.  Over the last year, I get at least one call a week with a similar pitch -- sometimes 3 or 4 calls.  Obnoxious.  I'm sure the buyers have no idea what is happening.

Apr 16, 2009 04:06 PM
Roland Woodworth
Blue Cord Realty - Clarksville, TN
Blue Cord Realty

Lola: You gotta love these guys and oh.. the ones who call and say.. You may know me indirectly.. I'm the one who sells the ink pens... Grrrrr If I wanted a ink pen.. I'd call them.

 the sad thing about the referral lead services is they want paid up front for these unqualified leads that come from our own listings... These lead generator companies build sites, pay huge money for SEO placement and capture leads from out listings and sell back... Hmmmmm. 

Apr 16, 2009 04:26 PM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

I think I was contacted by the same company, selling the leads in bundles. 

I also get companies offering to put me on page one of Google for a "small fee".  Do they bother to check and see that I'm already there?

Apr 16, 2009 04:48 PM
"The Lovely Wife" The One And Only TLW.
President-Tutas Towne Realty, Inc. - Kissimmee, FL

LOL...

I had him shaking in his holy shoes :)

TLW...ROAR!

Apr 17, 2009 12:35 AM
Felix Krynicky
Keller Williams Realty - Greensburg, PA

Anytime someone wants to sell me leads like that I just asked to be put on the "never call me back because this is assredly some sort of rip off" list.

Apr 17, 2009 01:44 AM
Kathy Knight
Intracoastal Realty Corp - Wilmington, NC
BROKER, ABR, CRS, GRI, SFR, SRES

Lola:

 

Got the same call - wild they make it sound sooooo good.  Glad you didn't bite - me either..

Apr 17, 2009 02:05 AM
Bridget Cella
Re/Max Connection - Sewell, NJ
e-Pro, Realtor

When you are selling "potential clients" it is a tough sell- this guy obviously was trained well!

 

Apr 17, 2009 07:28 AM
Bryant Tutas
Tutas Towne Realty, Inc and Garden Views Realty, LLC - Winter Garden, FL
Selling Florida one home at a time

Lola, that's a true story TLW told you about. When it was over I convinced her to drink a bottle of Dom and leave it alone. For awhile there I thought she was going to make him perform the ceremony again :)

Apr 17, 2009 10:09 AM
Lola Audu
Lola Audu~Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI Real Estate - Grand Rapids, MI
Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI ~Welcome Home!

Hey Renee...that comment will blog!  :)  Way to say it!

Terry, I'm glad that the referrals are working for your without paying...

Celeste...that's right. :)  Thanks for your comment.

Bob & Carolin...Good for you!

Lane...now your call back conversation would be really interesting to listen to, I'm sure. My guess is you probably hang up on them again as they didn't get the message the first time. :)  Amazing isn't it?

Kerry...Probably not.

 

   

Apr 17, 2009 10:20 AM
Lola Audu
Lola Audu~Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI Real Estate - Grand Rapids, MI
Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI ~Welcome Home!

TLW...what's scarier is how many people may think that way but don't express it openly anymore.  It strikes me that once you think of people as 'things', entitites which have this or that value for your selfish aims, you can transfer that type of labelling around pretty easily...man, woman, child, customer, client, home buyer...

Felix...didn't think of that.  More of us should

Kathy, thanks for your comment.

Bridget...I will give him that.

Bryant...LOL...I can only imagine. :) 

Apr 17, 2009 10:30 AM
Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Lola, essentially you are saying who needs these fast talking salesmen when you can do this yourself. When they say you will have an exclusive area, that's usually when they hear from me, "click."

Apr 17, 2009 11:57 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Before they get a complete sentence out of their mouth, I tell them I have more business than I could possibly handle and there is absolutely nothing they can do for me so go call somebody else. Oh, and btw, my name is on the do not call list and they just violated it.

sacramento agent

Apr 17, 2009 12:48 PM
Lola Audu
Lola Audu~Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI Real Estate - Grand Rapids, MI
Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI ~Welcome Home!

Gary...'exclusive' as in for this moment while I'm on the phone with you and before I sign up someone else perhaps...

Elizabeth...What's the reaction to the 'I'm on the do not call list question'? 

Apr 17, 2009 12:57 PM
Diane Aurit
LKN Realty, LLC - Mooresville, NC
Lake Norman Real Estate

Oh Lola, I am so tired of these types of calls and we are getting so many these days.  Your insight is so wonderful.  I have never "bought" lead or clients.  What I love about blogging is that we can establish a relationship before we even meet!

Apr 18, 2009 01:19 AM
Teresa Harris
Lake Real Estate, LLC - Denver, NC
Denver . Lake Norman . Charlotte

Hi Lola, What a GREAT post....and what you wrote is so true! Congrats on the little gold star because this certainly is well worth it!

Apr 21, 2009 04:10 PM
Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman
Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI
(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE

I finally got here whew...I wonder what some of these clowns think sometimes....clients for sale.  And to think....  what planet do they come from?

Apr 21, 2009 05:13 PM