If you've read my previous blogs, you'll know that for me - everything dealing with people is based on behavior. Whether that be based on evolution or learned, we ALL act according to our behavior.
My biggest motive in writing on this particular subject is to get you to stop for a moment and think about - not just that a particular technique works with buyers or sellers, but why it seems to be working. Do your memorized "one-liners" work all the time - why and why not? Think about how the action (or inaction) you take is in sync with or modifies the behavior of the subject.
So, on to the topic - How would Darwin show a home? And, trust me (before I get replies correcting me on evolutionary psychology) that I realize Darwin did not know about biological evolution, behavior modification and other more recent scientific entries.
The following are just some behaviors that might help us understand how and why some of our techniques for showing homes work or don't work in achieving the buyer's goals:
Behavior
1. After just two repetitions of a stimulus, the human brain automatically, unconsciously, and uncontrollably expects a third
2. Hunches, intuition , and gut feelings can be strengthened or minimized by "anchoring" the reflexive brain
3.Getting what you expected produces no dopamine in the brain.
4. Mood affects risk centers of the brain
Of course there are hundreds of others behaviors - not just for the buyer, but for the agent as well.
Now, how to apply these behavioral tendencies.
I'm quite sure that most of us have learned how to structure the "order" of the homes we are showing, but now you might know why. As behavior (1) indicates: a buyer seeing two bad (unacceptable) homes in a row would naturally expect the third to be bad. If the third is good, the brain goes into "surprise" mode. Anytime our brains are surprised, dopamine is released (buyer is high). Are you tired of showing 50 homes (that's actually the topic of another blog), then take some time to structure your showings by appeal and price....show the best home (the one that you know the buyer should buy) only after showing several less desirable homes, and followed by more several less desirable homes.
Two and (3) above work together. When we believe something to be true, we have "anchored" our brain and will continue to find reasons why the belief remains true. If you happen to tell the buyer that "this is the best home on the market today" and they believe it, they will continue to find reasons why that statement is true. By the way - the only way to prove something is true is to try to prove that the premise is false. Regarding (3) - a big mistake we make when showing homes is to say something like this "you are going to absolutely love the next house". Even if the house is perfect, they will not get "the feeling" that they are waiting for...they were not surprised. You told them it was a great house, and indeed it is...no big deal. So, play it down some. Tell them that the next house is ok. Tell them that the next house might work. GET THEM SURPRISED!
Your mood, their mood - it all affects the situation. If you can get them in a great mood, they will tend to make decisions when they normally would not. So, check your mood - don't meet them at the door and tell them how crappy you feel.
Sorry - got to go show a house. Until next time....THINK BEHAVIOR
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