When is the last time you showed property without spending all of your time between properties in the car?
Even when showing properties in the same neighborhood, the habit of jumping in the car to go down the street to the next showing is a hard habit to break sometimes (especially in the heat of a Tucson summer). I'm fortunate that my office location is located right in the heart of a resurgent Downtown, with interest in the different neighborhoods & styles of homes growing rapidly...but often I'm guilty of jumping into the car to go 5 or 6 blocks to show a property. Habit. Tough to break sometimes. Here's a route we took on Monday when I met a client at my office (the beginning & ending of the trip):
One of the things that always lingers in my mind after taking the time to walk with a client as we look at properties is how much we both enjoy the process. There is time to point out different things about the neighborhood, answer questions about the lifestyle - where to shop, get groceries, look at the school yard while going by, see what neighbors are doing, points of interest - and getting to know the client better while watching their body language, where their eyes go, etc, etc. The prospective buyer gets a chance to "feel" the neighborhood & experience a little slice of what it is like when they live there - and you get the opportunity to show your expertise more intimately. The time we spend is valuable & high quality.
Instead of wasting time & effort moving from parking place to parking place, the showing time is more organic & flows well. Having the chance to tell them about neighborhood events, pointing out where they are & how residents take part (or not) gives them the chance to visualize themselves as part of the community. As agents, we talk all the time about making it easier for buyers to visualize themselves in the house...adding the experience of the neighborhood itself adds to the value of time spent. On my team, we call it the "Neighborhood Immersion Experience" - and it has helped many clients make up their mind whether Downtown Tucson is where they want to live or just visit & choose to live in another part of town. All in all, the time invested isn't much more than driving, if at all. The results of the quality time spent make us better agents for our clients - and reinforces the value proposition we offer.
***Mea Culpa - when the temps are in triple digits, a trip like this one is an absolute loser for all involved!
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