One of the biggest challenges for a real estate agent is to establish a healthy balance of control with their seller clients. A home seller entrusts their agent with a huge investment and is looking for a huge investment in return. An investment of time and resources.
Security
First and foremost, a seller wants to have a sense of security with their realtor. A huge sense of security. The implications are enormous. Establish that security at the beginning of the relationship, and the seller is generally much more able to understand the factors that contribute to a home that isn’t selling because they trust in you. If that security isn’t established, their reality is more apt to be distorted, and then who do you suppose is going to be responsible in the their mind?
Control
There are a number of ways to instill your client with a healthy dose of security in your skill set. Oddly enough, one of them is to establish control at the outset of your relationship. And that is actually where balance comes into play. Appear too demanding, and you will turn them off before you are hired. Acquiesce to their every desire, and you appear to be a weak salesperson. If that occurs, then good luck securing their business.
The Magic Formula
So how do you determine that perfect balance? There is no magic formula. Their perception of you as an individual and salesperson will be shaped to a large extent during the listing presentation. That is when you need to establish control, if you haven’t already in an earlier meeting. Here are a few ways in which to ensure that happens.
- Always have the potential client’s best interest in mind.
- Telling them what they want to hear as opposed to your opinion is not in their best interest.
- Agreeing to terms that do not work within the scope of your business model is not in their best interest.
- Maintain your principals when it comes to pricing.
- Keep promises to a bare minimum when it comes to predicting the market and manage expectations.
- Agreeing to a marketing approach that the homeowner requests, but that you don’t believe is effective, is a sure way to lose control and meet with an unsatisfying result .
Bonus: Ask your clients the way in which they prefer to be communicated with and give them specifics as to when and how often you will do that.
This approach should position you with an ideal balance of control, instill confidence on behalf of your clients and lead to a better experience from start to finish.
What is your opinion about the balance of control?
What would you add to the list above?
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