There are issues facing all of us that are not just related to the North Georgia mountains. We ,unfortunately, share the wealth in many catagories. I am addressing 3
1 Discounters. There is really nothing wrong with competition. However our problem with discount brokerage is one of disclosure. In many cases the reduced rate broker does not provide the services other realtors provide. Sadly for us every time our Associations or MLS's try to point this out or fight back the discounters find the money to hire attorneys, call us monopolistic, and generally try to portray themselves as Davids battling Goliath. So what is the answer. Mine is simple. Attack them head on. When competing with a disounter who is limited in service I point out the differences and my value. But one point that I make and drive home is MR/S sellers you are interviewing Agents and going to choose the one you feel has the best chance to sell your home. The goal is to sell not to find the agent who will list you the cheapest. I tell my sellers the L in listing stands for liability. Because unsold their business is a liability to me. I am spending money time and effort in selling their home. No one refers to a listing usually as a liability and that gets eyes opened and I get listings as well as defeat the first D (Discounters)
2 Doomsayers. The doomsayer is the buyer. The market hasn't hit bottom yet. Things are bad. Things are getting worse. "No matter how bad things are, they can always get worse." That is the doomsayers mantra. Usually for the doomsayer at some point in my showings my conversation goes like this. ME "How long have you been living in the area or looking here?" DOOMSAYER, "Oh about x amount of time. And I remember when this property that is now 100,000 was 50,000!" (said defiantly) ME, "Well ok then we can come back in X time again and you can tell me you remember when this 200,000 property was 100,000." The doomsayer has set the level of growth and appreciation all I am doing is parroting it back to him. This works a lot too. Now you might say but Charlie what if he isn't happy with your comment. Well if he isn't going to buy anyway then he is wasting my time and the sooner we part the better.
3 Dummies . This is a tough catagory. Because dummies almost by definition don't have the sense to listen. On my North Georgia radio show I address them like this. If you have a tooth ache you could tie a string around the bad tooth, go up to your attic, tie the other end of the string around an anvil and throw the anvil out the attic window. OR you could go to a dentist. Why with one of your biggest investments would you not go to a real estate professional ?
I am always looking for new ways to deal with the above 3 catagories and welcome responses. P.S> I am really a nice and polite person. I give 100 percent to my clients so I expect things fro them too.
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