Are You Helping or Enabling? Sometimes we need to step back outside our roles and ask ourselves this question. It can apply to many people in life from agents - to buyers and sellers. Under the law - licensed real estate professionals are permitted (by state law in which they are licensed) to act inan agent-client relationship or as a facilitator. What about all those that you have no relationship? They just all all day long looking to gather more free information. You know the type. The ones that you work wiht for several months..only to find they are not returning your calls any longer, or they tell you now they are an agent, or their mom is an agent and they will purchase with them. Thank you very much (You Doormat!)
When a person calls in on a listing or someone else's listing via the Internet or an ad we need to qualify them before giving them too much information, meeting them and showing them several hundred homes. There is nothing new here. Buyers have been doing the same thing years ago from print ads. The important thing is not to just give all your knowledge away for free. Today with the Internet the same questions are asked. "All I want is the address so I can drive by." "I just want the address so I can Google it!" I know this common sense approach really is a hard thing to do, but if you can't do it, you are only kidding yourself.
Years ago the stakes were much higher for the information we provide. If I were sending a relocation package to Paris or Tokyo I need to know is the person committed to working with me before I spend $100 on a relocation package. So why would I not ask questions of the buyers now? Are you afraid you'll starve to death in a snow drift? Do you have this need to help others free? How many buyers have you converted to work with you recently? How many buyers walked away and never returned your calls? How many buyers lied to you and told you they did not have an agent and after you showed them the home - told you they have an agent? You are not alone. Many in our business are depressed and they will not acknowledge that things have changed. They keep trying old methods and are just not working. The first step to recovery is admitting that there is a problem. Another step is to move forward with a new plan of action.
Flawed Thinking:
- You are going to win over the buyer.
- You will convert them to your way of thinking.
- By giving free information they'll trust you and want to use you.
- I'll show them a few homes - and see if they will sign buyers agency.
- I'll give them the addresses so they can drive by.
- I will supply FSBO's with blank contracts.
- I will advertise FSBO's Free.
- If they love me...they will use me!
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