Have you ever picked up the phone to have a seller client ask - Hey, I just noticed the house down the street went under contract - Why wasn't it ours?!
When this happens the agent is often on the defensive /reacting to the situation, not to mention caught off guard.
Here's a simple way to be pro-active and create a WOW experience
Set-up a listing activity search in your MLS that corresponds to your listing - so that it will notify you when a new competing listing hits the market, a price changes or a property goes pending.
Let's play this out
- you receive notification that a competing listing just went under contract/pending
- you look to see who the selling agent is
- did that agent show your listing?
- if they did - give them a quick call, without being confrontational say something like - Hey I noticed that you just sold 101 elm street, congratulations, as you know I have the listing down the street, I know that you have shown it - do you mind if I ask what pulled your buyers to the home they choose over my listing? I would love to be able to provide that indo to my sellers when I call them in a few minutes. Oh, your buyers wanted a first floor master and yep, with my listing the master is on the 2nd floor. Okay, Thanks!
- or maybe the agent did not show your listing - again, reach out to the selling agent with a quick, courteous call to congratulate them and ask - I noticed that your buyers choose not to look at the listing I have down the street, Oh, your buyers wanted a first floor master and yep, with my listing the master is on the 2nd floor.
- now that you have this info you call your seller - now you are the one providing information - Mr/Mrs Seller just wanted to update you - the home down the street just went under contract - so the good news is one less home you are competing with - I know you may be wondering why the buyers would choose that home over yours, well I have spoken with the agent that represented the buyers, the buyers wanted a first floor master bedroom.
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I think the key is being pro-active!
Of course I know that all scenarios will not play out this easily - but hopefully it's a nugget that you can tweak to make your own.
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