Let's face it; we've all been there. You start showing a prospect homes. Soon you've shown them 40, 50, maybe even 60 homes... nothing seems to fit. I like to call that "Saturation of Information". People simply just can't remember what they liked and didn't like. It's all a big haze. As I have mentioned in previous posts... the market in the Birmingham/Bloomfield Hills area is saturated with listings, as is most of the Metro Detroit area. It seems that buyers are interested in seeing everything before they make a decision. Hey, who can blame them!
I've come up with two ways we, as agents, can help make this process easier for both the agent & our customers.
The first is what I like to call "cut the fat". I always assure my customers that I will look and look until we find the right fit. Before I EVER go out looking with a prospect, I like to streamline our "houses to see list". I do this by sitting down, in person, with my prospect and the MLS. I make the prospect commit to certain criteria for their next home. We make a "hot list" so to speak. Once the "hot list" is compiled, I show the prospect what homes are out there that meet their criteria. I'll add and subtract until we come up with about a dozen or so. Surprisingly enough, you'll find that when you start this way, your prospect will start weeding out homes prior to your first outing.
The second way I keep my customers focused is what I call "Name that House". This is where I get to inject my playful sense of humor. When I'm out showing homes, I ALWAYS make my customers name the house. We'll have the "pink bathroom house", the "crazy cat lady house", the "ultimate sports fan house" and so on. When I speak to my customers, we always call the houses my their "given names". Again, this allows people to remember details of the homes they've seen.
I think that in the long run I am doing a greater service to my customers by helping them hone in on their REAL needs & wants. It saves me time & grief. I think it's a real win-win for everyone!
When your market has excessive inventory, what tools do you use to help people find the right home?
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