When I was young my brother and I used to go fishing with cane poles and bobbers at Toledo Bend. It was mostly little crappie, bluegill, sunfish and the like. They were fun and had a lot of fight, but not too many of them were big enough to keep and eat. We'd catch some, unhook 'em and then toss 'em back in the lake.
Flash forward a bunch of decades and I don't fish for fish any longer, but I still fish, and I still practice catch and release on a regular basis. The difference now is what I fish for and what I use for bait.
There's no more squiggly worms or crickets on a hook now, instead there's patio homes & condos, new construction, homes with barns and homes with 3 car garages and finished basements and acreage and....let's just say there's as much variety as any good fly fisherman could make.
And some of those fish I keep, and some of those fish I toss back.
Don't get me wrong, I don't consider my sellers and buyers "fish", this is just an analogy for the process.
Our blogs and websites and IDX pages are the bait to attract the consumer. We create the right "bait", content that appeals to people, they're going to pick up the phone and call, or click the Contact Form.
At that time, my blog and sites have done their job. They've caused the initiation of contact.
Things still have to happen.
There's an assessment I need to make.
Do they understand what they want?
Is it something I can realistically help them get, or would even WANT to help them get?
Are there any red flags? "when I looked at a home last weekend with my agent"...SLAM on the brakes....
Is there a gut feel that tells you they're trouble?
Roll these things together and I'm at a decision point.
Catch or Release?
One of the perks of having been in the business this long is it's often easier to detect who you should release before you sink hours and hours of time into an empty pond.
Instead, the goal is to stay focused on those we should catch. Buyers that will actually buy, sellers that can actually be sold.
The more worth catching, the better our business and the overall quality of life as agents. We all need extra time, and knowing when to release that "hot" prospect may be the key to getting what you need.
Until next Tuesday, just Ask An Ambassador if you need help!
Bill of Bill & Liz aka BLiz
P.S. If your blog and websites aren't getting any "bites", it may be time to see if you need some new "bait".
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