When you went on your last listing appointment, did you spend most of your time asking your sellers questions about what matters most to them, or did you focus on all the services you provide and your track record of success? If you want to convert more listing appointments into signed listings, the secret is to shift from the old “agent-centric” model to the “client-centric” model that today’s consumers want and expect.
It’s not about you!
The cult of the agent, what I call the “Me-Me-Me” show, has been around since the 1990s. This includes the old-school approach called “Hunt ‘em, tell ‘em and sell ’em.”
In other words, chase leads down by cold calling and door knocking, tell them how great you and your company are, and then hard close them to sign the listing agreement or purchase contract. Market on billboards, shopping carts, bus benches and be sure to include your glamour headshot.
2 simple fixes to move your business back to being client-centric, not agent-centric
The most important shift is to focus on uncovering what matters most to your clients by asking questions about their motivation for moving, about their lifestyle and what matters most to them.
The second shift to make is to use “you” language rather than “I” or “me” language.
Simple questions to ask the seller
Below you’ll find examples of consumer-centric questions that you can ask your sellers on your next listing appointment. Each question uses “you” language agent-centric.
- What’s motivating you to move?
- What are the features and benefits of living here that you have enjoyed and would want buyers to know?
- Once you sell, will you be staying in the area or locating outside the area? (This question allows you to convert them to buyers if staying locally or obtain a relocation referral outside the area.)
- Will the features and benefits you just described be important in your next home? If so, which ones?
- What are the features in your current home that would definitely cause you to say “no,” to buying your next home. (This surfaces where most objections will come because these questions provide their likes and dislikes.)
Want the complete list of listening consultation tips? Check out this Inman article
Simple questions to ask the buyer
Buyers and sellers are often focused on the “features” such as bedroom-bath count, size of the yard, proximity to schools, etc. However, what they will ultimately buy is based upon emotion.
I discovered this fact with my very first buyer when I had just gotten my license. I had three great houses to show my buyers and one dog that needed work. Of course, the dog was the one they purchased. The reason? “It reminded me of my grandmother’s house.”
The single question that unlocks what the buyers will really buy
For buyers, the best way to find out what they will really buy is to ask:
“Tell me about your favorite house from your childhood? What made it special to you?”
This question usually generates a pleasant memory. When they see the house that reminds them of their favorite house from childhood, your buyer experiences the feeling, not the words. The bottom line is that when they encounter that happy feeling, you have a high probability of making that sale.
A follow-up to that question is:
“Which of those features would you like to have in your next home?”
Dig deeper by asking:
- What are the five features a home must have for you to write an offer?
- Describe what activities you enjoy doing at home or when you’re off from work.
- Which rooms in your next home do you plan on spending the most time in, and how will you use them (home office, entertaining, cooking, TV room, etc.)?
- What about the location(s) you are looking in is most important to you (recreation, proximity to work, public transportation), etc.?
- Do you have any special needs such as one-story, fenced yard for animals, ADA-compliant, school location for specialized programs, etc.?
- When you picture yourself living in the right home, what feels different from where you live today?
These questions surface what truly matters to both the seller and their buyers. Listen to what they say, take notes, and deliver what they ask for.
The real estate industry’s North Star is the consumer. When agents keep buyers and sellers at the center of the transaction, ask “you” questions, listen carefully, write down what their clients say and do their best to deliver what their clients want, they are “North Star” focused and will be the ones who will thrive no matter what the market does.
Bernice Ross is president and CEO of BrokerageUP and RealEstateCoach.com, the founder of Profit.RealEstate and a national speaker, author and trainer with over 1,500 published articles.
