Would you open the door to a stranger? Or show property?
Rental prospects who contact me through my website leave their names and phone numbers so there is at least an electronic trail as to who I am meeting at properties.
Would you show property to someone you've never met before?
If the prospective buyer whom you've never met refuses to give critical information or to meet with you, would you consider this a serious inquiry? Would you show them property by meeting them there?
We get all kinds of leads...by phone, by email from people who want us to show them our listings. If they are not referred by anyone we know, and if we've never met them, we ask the usual questions....
- Are you represented by an agent?
- Are you already preapproved for a loan?
- Then we recommend that they come to our office to meet with us first before we see the property --- we justify this by telling them that based on what we find out that they're looking for, we could upload other properties they may be interested in and we can schedule more showings
- Before they come, we ask for their full name, email address, best number to call them.
- And...or...we ask them to fax a copy of their drivers license to us.
I've had some prospects who try to make me feel guilty by telling me "Well...if you don't want to show me this property, then I'll find someone else...." Or some think they're getting the third degree...
It's a risky business!
It seems that the best explanation I can give them, and one that most legitimate prospects would respect is that it's a safety issue and precautionary measure....
...that the sellers requested that the home is shown only to preapproved buyers
...that realtors are committed to caring for our clients' property (and ourselves!)
What works for you?
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