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I've Learned How to Listen - Do You Hear What You Are Saying?

By
Real Estate Agent with BlueCoast Realty Corporation

A recent post (dare I say rant) brought to mind the importance of listening. I am a huge proponent of time conservation. You'll hear me say so often that 24 hours is all we have and we better use it wisely.

And so, we learn to listen. We learn to ask the right questions and we learn to disengage from those folks who ask us for the impossible. The ones who have just explained to us without realizing it why they likely cannot accomplish their plan to buy a home. As professional listeners, we can harvest a few key words from a conversation and draw some pretty solid conclusions. When, I hear the phrases "self-employed in construction" and "looking for 100% financing" in the same conversation I know the odds are pretty small that the prospect can actually complete a purchase in today's Wilmington real estate market. But the prospect will hear what I hear when I educate him in the fine points of today's lending standards. I cannot spend time showing homes he cannot buy but I can refer him to a good lender who can provide additional guidance and help him plan to make a purchase.

Listening to a different conversation that included the phrases "20% down payment" and "preapproval letter" could motivate me to make appointments before I have the document in my hand. You see, I'm a good listener and I've heard these buyers already heard what they need to hear! These buyers are ready to buy and I know they'll be good to work with because I already know they listen.

 

Posted by

Beverly Femia

The Femia Team


"With Us, It's All About You!"

 

Beverly Femia

 

 Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty

1001 Military Cutoff Road, Suite 101 Wilmington, NC 28405

Fax to 1-866-784-3089 (Toll Free)

Beverly Femia

Broker / REALTOR®

Email:Bev@CoastalAreaLiving.com

Phone:Bev at (910) 279-9794

Search:Wilmington Area Propertywww.CoastalAreaLiving.com

 

 

 

Comments (6)

Jon Quist
REALTY EXECUTIVES ARIZONA TERRITORY - Tucson, AZ
Tucson's BUYERS ONLY Realtor since 1996

Ordinarily those are good statements to hear, but like Reagan once said..."Trust, but verify".

May 13, 2011 04:01 PM
Anonymous
Agnes Tabor, REALTOR

Beverly, your blog is so on track. How many times do we get into our cars to show properties only to find out that 1) the prospects are not ready to buy, 2) not financially qualified, 3) must sell something before they can make an offer and the best one 4) there is another party in the background who we have not met who will be making the final decision. We must sit down and have a conversation, get to know our customers and if they are not ready for our services direct them to someone that can get them to the point where we can work together.

May 13, 2011 04:19 PM
#2
Beverly Femia
BlueCoast Realty Corporation - Hampstead, NC
Broker Realtor Stager - Greater Wilmington, NC Are

Jon, you are absolutely right.  I've educated myself well enough that I usually read the financial signs pretty well but I get them to a reputable lender early on to ensure the Client is not misinformed.    

Agnes, any agent who says they never gone further acting on instinct than they should have is probably fibbing or suffering from a faulty memory.  The longer we do this the better we should be at listening and interpreting information.    

May 14, 2011 04:03 AM
Lee & Pamela St. Peter
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices YSU Realty: (919) 645-2522 - Raleigh, NC
Making Connections to Success in Real Estate

Hi Beverly, how right you are ~ words DO tell us sooooo much IF we would just stop AND listen!  Our clients want us to understand where they are coming from and it's up to us to listen.  Good post.
Pamela

May 16, 2011 04:09 AM
Connie Harvey
Pilkerton Realtors - Brentwood, TN
Realtor - Nashville TN Real Estate

Beverly, discerning a buyer from a time waster is the first step to using your time wisely!

Jun 26, 2011 04:29 AM
Not a real person
San Diego, CA

I have to tell Jon (comment #1) that my wise old grandmother told me "Trust, but verify" way back in 1966. Maybe Reagan knew her?

Happy Tuesday!

Jul 25, 2011 10:41 PM