What To Say When Asked "How much did you Pay?" or "How much did you Get?"
By Michelle C. Carr-Crowe, ABR, ALHS, ASP, CDE, PME, RECS, SRES
In the May 10th Dear Abby column, a reader asked how she could avoid answering nosy friends questions about how much she paid for her lovely new home without appearing rude.
As an experienced real estate consultant, I have some helpful advice for that young woman who didn't want to answer questions about the price of her home or personal finances.
I prepare my clients for this situation by telling them people are naturally curious and they should expect such questions; however the questions they may ask aren't always what they truly want to know. Rather than answer with specifics, I instruct my clients to tell them, "I am so happy-this is just perfect for me and my priorities at this time in my life," and give a big smile.
What the person asking often wants to know is one or all of the following three questions
1) How did you achieve this success? (especially in today's market)
2) How can I (or someone I care about) do the same thing?
3) How happy are you in working with the real estate professional you chose?
If the questioner persists, the client takes out their cell phone, calls me immediately and either connects us together on the spot, leaves a message with their contact info and specific questions, or gives the person my card and offers to introduce us.
If the questioner truly has an interest in real estate, my client knows I will consult with that person to find out what's truly important to them and give them good advice specific to their situation (without revealing the client's confidential info). If the questioner is just a nosy body, they'll run away at the first mention of talking to a professional real estate agent.
I've invested the time into learning how to handle these situations and make life easier for my clients. I consider these instructions in how to prevent awkward (but expected) situations to be part of the professional service they're paying me for.
My clients are relieved to be prepared with the right response ready should the questions come up, to know it's okay for them not to answer, and to know a skilled professional is still at work helping them deal with real estate situations.
Michelle C. Carr-Crowe leads the Get RE$ult$ Team, and is the Experienced Lynbrook and Cupertino Schools Expert, assisted by her excellent team. A licensee for over 20 years, she is a Multi-Million Dollar Producer. In addition to marketing and business development, she's an internationally-published freelance writer with over 1,000 articles published in publications such as the San Jose Mercury News, the San Jose Business Journal, San Jose Magazine, Cupertino Courier, the San Mateo Weekly Times and Inman Real Estate News Service. Her designations include: Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR), Accredited Luxury Home Specialist (ALHS), Accredited Staging Professional (ASP), Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), Property Marketing Expert (PME), Real Estate CyberSpace Specialist (RECS), Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES), and one of less than 150 agents worldwide to achieve the Accredited Luxury Home Specialist (ALHS) designation. She has just completed specific coursework and testing as a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE)*, to help clients dealing with foreclosures and pre-foreclosures, short sales, bank-owned homes and loan modifications. Visit her online at www.michellejudycarr.com or www.lynbrookhighhomes.com. For RE$ult$ ... Just Call ... (408) 252-8900 !!
Comments(2)