As a realtor, listings are your bread and butter. Whether a listing presentation succeeds in convincing sellers to list, is about your ability to present yourself better than the competition. However, it typically starts with the ability to overcome seller objections (to listing the property, to pricing it a certain way, to listing with an agent rather than selling themselves, etc.). Here are 10 potential seller objections and 10 scripts developed by Ben Kinney, a mega-agent with Keller Williams, that will win you the listing.
#1
They say…
I want to wait to sell my home until the market gets better.
You say...
You know, I've found that a lot of times the price I could sell your home for today, is often greater than what I could sell your home for in a couple of months, because of foreclosures, homes being sold for less, new homes going up or similar factors.
I also understand that you want to sell your home for a little more. When you sell your property are you potentially going to be buying something else?
Is that property going to cost a little more? So, what happens if you wait to sell your property for a little more and everybody else is selling their homes at that time for a little more? What you’re saying is that you’re willing to make a little more money on your home, just to spend a little more for a home, which doesn't make sense.
The price that you sell your home for, is not based on the value of your home but on the interest rates.
#2
They say…
My [nephew, neighbor, friend… etc.] is a real estate agent. I was thinking about going with them.
You say...
You know, working with family or friends is never really a great idea. You can’t fire them once you hire them, it will make so-and-so upset/ruin the relationship. You can’t have the most real conversation with them like you can with me.
You can tell me anything and we’ll address it. You’re not going to hurt my feelings.
There’s also a lot of financial information that gets exposed when going through this process and most people don’t like close friends and family to know all of that personal information.
I have a great alternative. Let me market your property and I’ll give your [nephew, neighbor, friend… etc.] a call and tell him/her that you decided to list with me. He can still bring a buyer. When he brings a buyer, he’ll get paid the whole 3% and won’t have to be spending all the money I am on marketing your property.
#3
They say…
I have another agent I want to interview before making my decision.
You say...
I know you already have an interview scheduled with another agent, but I just want to be honest with you and say that throughout this whole presentation, you seem impressed with the marketing strategy, and you said that you feel confident that I can get your property sold for the most amount of money in the least amount of time.
What I want to do is, I want to give the agent in question a call and tell them that you decided to list with me and that they don't need to take that time away from their family. And you won’t have to sit through another listing presentation.
Let me get your property marketed and sold and I will personally send the other agent all the information so that he can get the first shot to find a buyer and get the buyer’s commission, which is actually higher than the listing commission because I’m investing a part of my money into marketing your property.
Would it be ok if I helped him not take the time away from his family?
#4
They say…
It seems like homes are selling fast. I don’t want to list my home until I find my new home.
You say...
When you find a property you want to buy, a lot of times it costs more than you can afford without the sale of your current home. What I want to do is list your property and find a buyer for it. Then I can write a contingency offer stating that the sale will only be final when you find a home to purchase.
Then, you and I will go out and find the perfect home for you and your family. If for some reason we don't find you a home, we can postpone the closing or cancel it. Does that work for you?
We’ll make sure that you have another home before you sell yours, so your family doesn’t have to be homeless.
#5
They say…
I talked to another agent with stats similar to yours, but he is willing to list my home at 1% lower commission. Will you match that?
You say...
No.
Who is Ben Kinney?
Ben Kinney is a nationally-known entrepreneur, professional speaker, trainer, author and real estate agent. He is the author of Soci@l; is listed in The Wall Street Journal and REAL Trends' Top 100 agents for both total units sold and total sales volume in the nation; and was named "Innovator of the Year" by Inman News. The Ben Kinney Companies includes 1000+ agents in nine Keller Williams brokerages spanning from Bellingham, Washington to Austin, Texas and across the pond to London, England; a collection of real estate-related software companies, including ActiveRain, Kwkly, Brivity and Blossor; and the Ben Kinney Training Organization.
Comments(159)