The other day I brought a buyer client to a new home community. As we entered the sales office, the sales person was still talking with another couple and their buyer agent.

"We're the only game in town," he was saying in a derisive tone of voice. "We have 40% market share in this area and so and so builder next door has only sold like 6 homes in the past year!" he continued. More talk at the prospects wondering why anyone would even think of buying a home from anyone else, etc., etc.

I looked at the other buyer agent and could tell he was just as unimpressed by this performance and ready to move on. My clients had gone wandering through the model home, so I had a minute alone with the sales person. I asked him to please refrain from trashing other builders and to simply talk about what they had to offer. I told him it was totally unnecessary and besides what he was saying was untrue; I have sold homes in the other community and know that they have sold more than he was reporting.

If you're the leader why do you have to put down the competition? It is so unprofessional and it just makes me wonder. Do you have 40% market share because you're the best or because you're the cheapest production builder in town? Perhaps your prices are lower because of quality? I could go on but the point I'm trying to make is -

SELL YOUR PRODUCT - DON'T TRASH TALK THE COMPETITION!