How to tell "real" buyers from tire-kickers (one question)

Generating lots of leads is pretty easy.

What most people seem to struggle with is "converting" those leads into clients.

The prevailing attitude seems to be that leads are somehow dirty...and need to be scrubbed.

Someone asked me just yesterday how to tell the "real" buyers from the tire-kickers - so it inspired me to write this post.

The truth about lead "conversion" is that you can't actually convert anybody to do anything. They either ARE or ARE NOT going to buy a home.

You can't create 5-star prospects - you can only discover them.

The very best way to tell the real buyers from the tire-kickers is to treat EVERY ONE OF THEM like they're a real buyer until they prove otherwise vs. treating them like they're a tire-kicker until they prove they aren't.

The implication in the question is that we don't want to "waste time" with people who are not going to buy.

I always answer the question with a question of my own:

How would you treat a lead if you knew for sure they were going to buy a home?

Would you give up on them after they don't return your ONE phone call?

Or, decide in advance that they're not a "good lead" because they didn't leave a phone number?

If you KNEW they were going to buy a home, you'd probably treat them differently.

Try pretending your next 10 leads are absolutely going to buy a home...and let me know what happens.