So often you'll hear people speaking in a derogatory manner in reference to a (their) real estate "salesperson." It's unfortunate to hear these references and sometimes they come from within the industry. If you are a Realtor.....you are a salesperson. Embrace the term! And be certain you can say "I am one". The key is professionalism: there certainly are plenty of people who can make the claim of being a salesperson, but in truth they may not have the polished skills of a professional i.e. quality negotiating skills, patience or a tuned ear to hear what are their client's wants and needs. I may be wrong about the term salesperson relative to professioinal. Here's a simple test you an use to determine if your Realtor is a sales person.
Your Realtor might be a salesperson if......
1) He/She listens to you to determine your needs and concerns
2) He/She identifies what your needs/concerns are "must haves/have nots" and what are not
3) He/She helps direct you to products and services which meet your needs
4) He/She takes responsibility for your welfare and represents you vigorously
5) Answers your phone calls/emails and address questions or concerns
6) Works with you to identify solutions for problems
7) Handles all elements of your transaction professionally
8) Demonstrates a loyalty to you the client
9) Works to make the buying/selling process clear and easy to understand for you
10) Knows and employs professional sales and/or negotiation techniques which allow for the best outcome for you
Did you read anything in that description which talks about pushing a buyer into buying? or a seller into selling? Do you believe that a salesperson uses sales "tricks" to create a transaction where there shouldn't be one? An informbed buyer or seller will make a good decision without chicanery or manipulation. There are skills that make a great salesperson stand out and I consider myself a very good salesperson.
Sales techniques are important to both you and the salesperson. Yes, it's reality - they are important to both salesperson and client. Why to the client? Here are two examples:
As a buyer, If the salesperson does not recognize the "buyer's level of interest" or "buying signs", they might not ask to prepare an offer, to move forward, and an opportunity to own the home might be lost. There is little worse than seeing a home sell and a buyer wishing they had taken the step immediately while the "iron is hot" ....only to realize to late that the home is now under contract by another buyer. The blame can be shared and a buyer's agent is certainly partly to blame for seeing the interest and not asking the client to move forward.
As a seller, If the salesperson sees repairs needing to be done to complete the sale and does not use their skills in negotiation, they might create a situation that amounts to peanuts to close the sale vs. losing the sale altogether. It's crucial to know how to encourage a good outcome when the decision is crucial.
On occasion sloppy sales skills exhibit themselves in other ways too, maybe you've experienced one of the following:
1) The Angry Agent: frustration over hiccups or even normal negotiation causes an unskilled agent to get angry and yell.
2) The Begger Agent: desperation to make the deal goes through shows as an agent "begging" to get the deal or repairs or time extension. They come from weakness which exposes their clients to unfavorable terms.
3) The Best Friend Agent: this is common too! The "we're in this together" approach. "Work with me and let's get a commission." The negative impact to the client is clear, and when this agent gets no cooperation, they may become the Angry Agent.
Oftentimes a botched sale is simply a lack of professional sales skills. As Realtors we have continuing education requirements where the opportunity exists to obtain the necessary skills to become better salespeople. The truly cream of the crop don't wait for just the required education, they seek out instruction to ensure they'll be at the top of their game.
I'd be curious to hear your thoughts about past exeriences with a Real Estate Broker/agent. Oh, by the way, if you'd like to search real estate offerings, please visit http://www.leavenworthlifestyle.com and look for the search properties button to see all area offerings.
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