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Down Home Selling 101

By Gary Woltal

Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty 0575737

March 18, 2008 03:30 PM

Dog On Porch I've been accused of being down to earth in my communication style with folks. I guess that is not all bad. It is friendly. And maybe it can be seen in my style of writing here.

I bring this up because I think in trying to discuss selling homes with homeowners many agents make this seem like some kind of rocket science. It really is Sales and they need a boost from Sales 101.

I call it Down Home Selling. Paint a word picture or tell a story of the next step in a homeowner's life. Like the photo I selected, say Imagine if, What if, If you could live anywhere, and then go on to describe that cabin with the porch with the dog AND life is now oh so sweet.

Don't make moving to another place so hard. Learn to paint a picture for folks.

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Richard Weisser

Richard Weisser Realty - Newnan, GA

Richard Weisser Retired Real Estate Professional

Gary,

I have been selling real estate for some time, and have often wondered how buying a home came to be such a life or death experience. I bought a house sight unseen many years ago, and didn't lose a mnute's sleep over it. We need more down-home buyers!

Mar 18, 2008 05:04 PM

Rich Dansereau

Positive Real Estate Professionals - Knoxville, TN

This is 101 in the real estate industry; I can hardly imagine a person in our industry using terminology to confuse a buyer. This seems very counterproductive to the entire transaction, not to mention referrals. I know it happens but....jeez! This make me feel like a Saturday Night Live skit waiting to happen!

Mar 18, 2008 06:06 PM

Jesse Clifton

Jesse Clifton & Associates - Fairbanks, AK

Gary - Part of our job is to make the buying and selling process as stress free as possible... putting what we do in simple, easy to understand terms is a great first start.

Mar 18, 2008 08:59 PM

Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

Gary, this is wonderful. You put it so eloquently. After all, aren't our hopes and dreams something we have painted in our minds already?

Mar 18, 2008 09:53 PM

Missy Caulk

Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI

Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Gary, word pictures work in selling and other examples in life too. Telling a good story in a blog post, helps explain the situation, advertising in word pictures also helps.

Mar 18, 2008 09:54 PM

Marzena Melby

Coldwell Banker Burnet Realty - Richfield, MN

Realtor, Twin Cities Minnesota Real Estate

Gary - Your writing style is very conversational, it give reader a good sense of what kind of person you are. I'm sure your potential buyers or sellers choose you because of your style.

Mar 18, 2008 11:28 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

What I think painting a word picture does for most people is to share ideas from our past experiences with other people buying and selling. We find common ground. Ideas and experiences are non-threatening and as Marzena said, it gets very conversational. That's when we become more the trusted advisor with the client.

Mar 18, 2008 11:44 PM

Sharon Harris

Keller Williams Keystone Realty - Hanover, PA

Realtor

Wow . It really can be that easy huh? I think people prefer simple over all the hype we as Realtors like to hand out . Thank you for the wake up call...

Mar 18, 2008 11:54 PM

Leesa Finley

RED Properties - Wake Forest, NC

RED Properties - Raleigh NC Real Estate

Gary - such a true post and point of view! I share that with you - this isn't hard folks but you have to want to help the people. It is about them and not you! If you are "down to earth" and can relate - you will succeed!

Mar 19, 2008 12:05 AM

Teri Eckholm

Boardman Realty - White Bear Lake, MN

REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro

Gary--I don't know if real estate is really Selling 101 as much as Communication 101. Connecting with people and communicating information so that the two sides understand what is going on...The rest is paperwork. It doesn't have to be fancy...Down home works!

Mar 19, 2008 02:31 AM

Matthew Zgonc

Aksland Real Estate - Modesto, CA

Realtor, CFS, CVS

Word pictures are very powerful tools and if used right can help you generate good referrals and clients.

Mar 19, 2008 02:35 AM

Rosario Lewis

DDR Realty - Newburgh, NY

GRI, SRES - DDR Realty - Orange County, NY

I know what you mean. For buyers, buying a home is an organic part of their lives. It is not a philosophical endeavor. We need to "keep it real" because it is very real for them.

Mar 19, 2008 04:51 AM

Carol Lee

Dilbeck Real Estate - Oak Park, CA

Realtor - Agoura, Oak Park, Westlake CA Homes

Gary- If being "down to earth" is what you are, then you are being true to yourself and people will sense that. With me, it is pretty much what you see is what you get- no pretense. As such, clients never feel like they are being given a hard sell, and that I work on their behalf on what will work for them, not me.

Helping a client paint a picture is a great technique. "Imagine this house with the carpets you like, and look, your piano would fit beautifully right here", or, "Wouldn't it be lovely to sit in this backyard, smell the Jasmine blooming, and look at those hills?" (Unless they have allergies, in which case that isn't the picure to help them with!) A lot of people need help with visualization. Sometimes, too, finding out about the house they grew up in, may help. I grew up in a two story, and that is what I wanted when I bought my first (and to date only) single family home.

Mar 19, 2008 09:00 AM

Mike Norvell Sr

Morris Williams Realty - Leesburg, FL

Norvell Consulting Group

Hey gary, thats the beauty of Active Rain....after a while if we post enough the REAL person comes out...I think its the same in real life, and It gets reflected as we go about town. If we try our best to be nice to others on a regular basis, it will come back at us....Its good to see you posting such positive, straight forward helpful stuff

C ya

Mar 19, 2008 09:18 AM

Roland Woodworth

Blue Cord Realty - Clarksville, TN

Blue Cord Realty

Gary... you are 100% correct... Some can make things seem so complicated... I love the K.I.S.S. methods myself.

Mar 19, 2008 10:22 AM

Vicente A. Martinez

Prudential Douglas Elliman Licensed Real Estate Salesperson - Woodhaven, NY

Realtor, Brooklyn - Long Island - Queens Homes

Hi Gary. I agree... we need to involve the buyer's / seller's five senses when helping them to move on with their plans (whether it be buying or selling). Painting a picture like you did above is overlooked by most agents. Great job and keep doing what you do!

Mar 19, 2008 12:14 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Sometimes I find myself painting the word picture of pricing the house right to "move on" with your life rather than being stuck in a house that's not going to sell. It all comes down in that case to how committed they are to moving. I've surprisingly found, some lack any urgency at all.

Mar 19, 2008 01:57 PM

Carol Culkin

Diamond Partners Inc - Overland Park, KS

Overland Park Residential Real Estate

Gary, Good topic...I have come to find that people like down to earth much more than "all business"

Mar 23, 2008 03:16 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Carol: You are right, in that people want a person they can relate to and not be sold to.

Mar 24, 2008 12:45 AM

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