Tired Of Being Lied To?

Be Your Own Lie Detector

One of the most damaging and frustrating problems Realtors have to deal with is being lied to.

I do not know an agent who has not faced lying sellers, lying colleagues, and lying clients. Protect yourself from dishonesty by considering these simple ways to be your own lie detector.

 This list comes from a 2006 Forbes.com article written by Elisabeth Eaves and titled " Ten Ways to Tell if Someone is Lying to You."

Watch body language. Sweating and fidgeting are two physical signs of lying. Seek detail. Liars stories often lack detail. Beware of unpleasantness. Liars are often less friendly and less cooperative. Observe eye contact. Liars often seek to avoid eye contact. Look for signs of stress. Dilated pupils and a rise in vocal pitch are often signs of lying. Listen for a pause. Liars often hesitate before answering a question since it takes time to come up with a response. Repeat questions or ask for information again. Liars are often inconsistent, so asking a question an additional time will give you an opportunity to find any inconsistencies. Beware of people trying to convince you they are honest. People who are trying very hard to convince you or their honesty may be hiding something. People generally expect that they will be trusted. When someone doesn't, they probably have a reason. Be honest with yourself. Liars often succeed because the listener does actually want to hear the truth. Make sure that you are not blinded by what you want to hear without confirming that it actually makes sense. Work on your intuition. Someone good at detecting lies will be able to consider how a person would think or feel if they were lying in a particular situation and then look for signs of those thoughts or feelings. Even with these tips, Realtors will continue to be lied to. However, maybe keeping a keen eye on the lookout for dishonesty will help agents avoid the damage done by dishonesty.