Tips From Top Real Estate Agents
Every great real estate agent says it: dealing with nightmare clients is some sort of right of passage. Scenario: You’re sitting at your desk juggling a number of listings, and that call comes in. The client on the other side is inflamed, and you’re trying to tame a wild stallion armed with nothing but dental floss. Anyway, if you are looking for homes for sale in Miramar houses, kindly visit our website.
First, there is patience. Think of it more like a secret weapon, better yet-a superpower. Patience alone can defuse the potentially explosive situation into a hiccup. Just put yourself in their place-to buy or sell property isn’t quite ordering pizza online; it’s just stressful. Your calm would be their anchor in this strong stormy sea.
It is the art of communication-skills, not rocket science! Transparent and regular communications soothe frazzled nerves much faster than one would think. One top agent that I know does this religiously on a weekly basis, either via emails or through a call, just to keep everyone on the same page. It is not just practical, you show that you care to make them feel included in every step of the way.
But what happens when, after all those, the bottom falls out? That is where adaptability comes in. For every Plan A that doesn’t work, there should be, waiting at the door ready to roll out like backup dancers in some concert, an alternative-Plans B to Z. Flexibility isn’t just about bending but knowing how far without breaking.
After all, a little humor never hurt anyone: diffuse tense situations with a joke or two, where the situation allows. Trust me, it often does. Humor works like social cement: people stick longer and are less likely to get worked up over trifles.
And remember, whereas listening is half of communicating effectively, active listening takes this down the field a step further to victory lane-okay, maybe one too many sports metaphors. If clients were frustrated or concerned about something, hear the words, but understand the feelings behind those words, too.
And, of course, most importantly-empathy, miracle worker! Be genuinely concerned about what they must have gone through, and never treat the complaints as light irritants that come in between YOUR daily grind-as a matter of fact, they may be experiencing THEIR most horrible days ever, dealing with house-hunting nightmares gone awry!
I once had a client who insisted his property would sell for so much more value than what it really had. He just would not let go-it’s that dog-on-a-bone syndrome. Rather than just saying no to him, I took him through the comparable sales within the neighborhood, how pricing works. It wasn’t easy, but after some transparency and patience, we finally reached a consensus.
Now, about setting boundaries-really important! Sometimes, those difficult clients don’t even realize how far they are overstepping. Make sure you clearly state your working hours and modes of communication right from the start. It will not only help in managing their expectations but will also keep you sane!
And then, there are those little things: a handwritten note or merely keeping in mind personalized information-changes in the family, such as a kid playing a soccer game-can grease the wheels to build rapport and, as important, trust.
But hey, if everything else fails? Know when to fold ’em. No matter how hard you try, you can’t please some of those clients with anything, and sometimes attempting to manage them is a bit like nailing jelly to the wall. Perhaps politely, it’s better for both concerned in such situations to part their ways.
Secrets of Top Real Estate Agents
Ever wondered how the top estate agents always remain cool, composed, and unruffled with those ‘clients from hell’? It would be like watching some sort of magician execute a five-course meal sans sweat. Well, the pros certainly do have a few tricks up their sleeve that will eventually bring the most stubborn client on board.
Patience: Just like any fisherman would wait for the big catch, similarly, one needs to be really composed. Similarly, the best agents have patience when it gets really heated in negotiations and handle their clients with kid gloves to find what exactly makes them tick.
Analogously, this treating of such clients was described to me by one of the agents I spoke to as the taming of wild horses: “You’ve got to approach them slow,” she said, “show them you’re on their side.” She told me how her client refused to reduce his asking price, even though market trends were to the contrary. Instead of pressing hard onto him, she asked him questions which led to him changing his tune sans pressure. Another good one is active listening-listening actively and with empathy. For example, if a client would just rant about everything under the sun, instead of spacing out or interrupting, great agents nod their head and acknowledge those emotions quite genuinely. In this manner, it is so much quicker to build trust than any sales pitch can. And then, of course, there is the humor-oh boy! That’s what really releases the tension: being able to crack a joke at the right time. This agent related to me how he had this one grumpiest of clients who seemed impossible to please until he started sharing funny stories of past deals gone wrong-without naming names. It was through laughter that barriers fell sooner than anything else!
Speaking of humor, well, that’s a funny dance.
Too little, and the room remains icy; too much, and you run the risk of coming off as unprofessional. The trick is to read the room-or in this case, your client. One agent said he used humor when a client was nitpicking every tiny detail of a property: “I told him if he found any more flaws, I’d have to start charging him for home inspections,” he chuckled. It immediately lightened things up.
Of course, it is not all ha-ha’s and hoo-ah’s. Elite agents also know how to say no without looking like they are being inflexible or insensitive. Tightrope walkers-they can balance firm and flexible. If a client calls at midnight to discuss matters that are not pressing, the pros attend to their concerns in as minimal time as possible and tactfully remind them about business hours. And transparency-the cards laid on the table-do magic! One particular agent shared with me how, by really laying it on the line about marketplace conditions and what to expect realistically within a certain budget, she was able to take an irate buyer and turn them completely around.
No sugarcoated words-just blunt words spoken that gained the client’s respect and closed the transaction. Adaptability is another ace up their sleeve-meaning, switching gears right in the middle if needed without losing composure. Playing chess with them, where every move depends upon the opponent’s last move, would imply the best agents keep their head several moves ahead yet be ready to shift upon new information or a change of mood.
