The "Pick Play" that Buyers will love you for and Sellers will never see coming!
To be completely honest I am very protective of my buyers. I am not talking about being their personal bodyguard rather I am referring to a much different type of protection. The kind of protection that they may need from... an overbearing Seller!!!
Let me share an example of how I needed to protect some of my buyers in recently. I called to set up an appointment to show a home and the seller's agent gave me the green light to show it. I bring my buyers to the home at the agreed time and unlock the front door, knock on the door and then...IT HAPPENS!!! As I no sooner finish calling out "Hello Century 21" there is a voice that responds with a surprised "Hello?" Some sellers are apologetic and leave as quickly as they can, while others decide it is best that they stick around.
Now the tricky part starts when I have to address this particular situation and keep it from being awkward for all parties. Out comes the trusty playbook and here's the guaranteed play that has worked for me without fail! After I introduce myself and hand over my slick business card sans no picture (another blog post in the future) I ask them some general questions. I try and keep the seller(s) busy by chatting with them about whatever it is that I surmise is of interest to them. I do this by looking around the room they are in to see what type of hobbies they have or what it is they were reading before we arrived. Once I have engaged them in conversation then...IT HAPPENS!!! My buyers quietly sneak away and begin to assess the property for themselves. Mission accomplished!
So what is the purpose of distracting the sellers while my buyers look around their home? Simply put I want my buyers to be as comfortable as possible while viewing the property. My experience has been when a seller meets a buyer they feel it is now solely up to them to sell the home. There is nothing wrong with pride in ownership but the buyers will not be honest with me about how they feel about the home especially with an eager seller standing there right beside them.
Of course there are exceptions to this scenario and that is where the buyers welcome the guided tour and appreciate hearing from the sellers directly. On a side note I let the sellers share all about their motivations and reasons for selling and trust me when I say I never interrupt them! After all, I work for the buyers so every advantage I can get them is a huge bonus. Information like that is gold when negotiating, so let that be a warning to agents that don't have their sellers leave during the time of showings!
It is very important to discuss this strategy with your buyers prior to viewing homes so that they understand why you are chatting up the sellers and not showing them around the home. Perhaps, you have your own playbook on how to handle these types of inevitable situations so please share if you do.
Sincerely,
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