How Good Are You at Reading a Client's Facial Expressions?
Some trainers tell real estate agents that they need to become better listeners when interacting with clients. But what about the value of paying closer attention to a client's facial expressions and reactions?
Have you ever watched a client's face when they enter a home for the first time and you realize that this home is "the one"?
I was touring homes with a client in the Minneapolis area a couple weeks ago and it happened to me. After about fifteen showings, my client walked into this particular home and visibly fell in love with that home. There was no mistaking the look of rapture on the client's face.
Similarly, it's possible to read an immediate "no sale" response on a client's face. That is probably a skill which is acquired by experience. And not all buyers will be equally transparent.
I doubt that this ability is a skill that can be taught. The ability to read a client's reactions to a home will depend on subtle factors and it won't work all the time. Your success in being sensitive to a client's facial expressions will likely improve over time.
Adding the ability to pay closer attention to visual expressions, in addition to listening more closely, may help all of us to become more intuitive and more responsive to a client's needs.
