12 Secrets to Selling That All The Top Real Estate Companies Know
No one understands the art of selling better than a real estate agent. But, if you’re just starting out in this industry, you’ve got a bit of a learning curve ahead of you.
Selling homes is not the same as working in retail, at a car dealership, or even cold calling people. It’s a unique field with many diverse needs, depending on a client’s budget and the kind of home they’re looking for.
This is why many new real estate agents learn from the successes of top real estate companies and their employees. They follow what top-level, experienced agents do and try to mimic their efforts.
If you’re just starting out in real estate, you’re in luck.
We’ve gathered the top twelve selling secrets all companies and agents know.
1. Familiarize Yourself with the Market
Before you get to work with clients one on one, get a feel for the market as a whole.
You may have just moved to a new city where real estate is on the rise. Or, you might be starting your career in the place you’ve lived all your life. Either way, you have to understand the ins and outs of what is going on in your backyard.
This is the only way you’ll be able to communicate things like school zones and local traffic, which many homeowners take into consideration. Not to mention, you’ll know a good deal when you see it once you get used to different areas and their standard selling prices.
Such details allow you to offer plenty of value to your clients.
You can start gathering this information by following the top real estate companies in your area, like Caldwell Homes For Sale. Look up where their top listings are, average sales, and general market opportunities.
2. Pick a Niche and Own It
To really make the most of your market knowledge, find your niche.
Maybe you love selling high-value homes, or, you enjoy the story behind watching new homeowners find a fixer-upper and turn it into something beautiful. Whatever you’re passionate about, dive into that part of the real estate industry if the opportunity is there.
Don’t forget; this may be in areas like commercial real estate or large, agricultural properties, too. Many top real estate companies specialize in these pockets and do very well for themselves.
3. Follow the Best Practices of Top Real Estate Companies
Once you have your niche figured out, start building your basic selling skills more and more. These will include qualities like standard professionalism and timeliness, but also:
- the ability to make an amazing first impression
- knowing how to anticipate client needs
- being transparent and forthcoming with information
Following best practices allows you to provide an amazing selling experience from start to finish. You may even notice a few clients return to you for other needs or refer a few of their friends. In these cases, it’s best to build a bit of a personal relationship.
4. Offer Plenty of Options
No matter if you’re working with a client for the first time or going on your second round of options together, it’s best to offer plenty of options. All the top real estate companies do this first to save time as the selling and buying process progresses.
When you show all your best options up-front, you’re actually telling a client exactly what they’re working with.
From a buyer’s perspective, it gives those looking for a new home an idea of how they’re going to cross off everything on the wishlist they’ve created. For sellers, it’s your job to communicate when a few offers are on the table. It’s ultimately the property owner’s decision which offer to move forward with, but your guidance plays an important role.
5. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Speaking of providing guidance, be sure to work on your communication skills.
There is much information to share as a real estate agent. Between houses that go on and off the market, counteroffers, and juggling many clients at once, you’ve got your work cut out for you.
As such, communication is about more than just how well (and clearly) you can speak. The way you handle emails and how effective you are at returning calls play into your communication efforts, too.
Top real estate companies have plenty of resources for this. They have secretaries and assistants and systems for all agents to follow. When you’re working as a solo agent or in a smaller company, your communication resources won’t be as expansive.
Still, there are certain things to rely on to ensure clients know they can rely on you. Set aside time in your schedule every day to go all the way through your inbox and make it a point to set reminders for time-sensitive topics, too.
6. Think Like a Guide, Talk Like a Friend
As you’re processing all the information you have to communicate, you have to make an effort to simplify it.
Many home buyers and sellers have a basic understanding of real estate if that. It’s not every day that they handle the concepts that you’ve gotten used to hearing and dealing with. As such, it falls on you to make industry concepts as relatable as possible.
The better you do this, the more everyone is on the same page. Such communication helps the buying and selling process move along, which is something top real estate companies know not to waste time on.
Plus, the last thing you want to do is sound like a know it all.
7. Be Resourceful
Another thing you have to learn is how to be resourceful.
Resourcefulness as a real estate agent means thinking on your feet when a client calls you unexpectedly. It means knowing how to balance a packed schedule while still giving everyone in your calendar a quality level of attentiveness.
Sometimes, it also means coming up with unique solutions for what buyers are looking for. Pay attention to the must-have items on a home buyers list, then find all the ways to make it happen.
This may mean buying a cheap home with a small master bathroom, which can be renovated into the large bath a client wants. It could also mean showing buyers homes with no pools or fences and talking with them about the money that might save. These savings could then be turned into a budget to add such amenities.
8. Know Your People
Sometimes, being resourceful also means having the right people in your professional network. The clients you sell a house to are almost always looking for more than a new place to move into.
These people will need to get in contact with brokers, landscapers, home improvement contractors, movers, and more. They may not be looking for all of these services at once, but it pays to know which companies provide the best options in your area.
Such contacts become people you can rely on to get the job done. They can enhance your reputation too because you’re the one who recommended the right choice.
If you aren’t sure which options are best, see who the top real estate companies in your area work with.
9. Learn Patience
At the end of the day, no matter how well prepared you are to make a sale, you won’t get far without patients.
Buyers can be pretty indecisive, considering purchasing a home is a big decision. Sometimes, sellers will go back and forth too, if they want to a higher offer or aren’t ready to move.
Not to mention, there are plenty of unexpected things that can pop up.
Agents who work at top real estate companies have many stories to back this up. As an agent who’s just starting out, expect to gather your own experiences of selling curveballs.
10. Put Yourself in the Client’s Shoes
To really make yourself more patient, put yourself in the client’s shoes.
After all, the sale is always about the people you’re serving, not the commission you’re expecting. Learn to sympathize with the experiences of the client. Some of them may be working on a tight budget, while others may have special situations affecting their buying process.
Still, it’s your job to provide them with the most stress-free, seamless experience possible. To do this, you have to understand where their worries and stresses are really coming from.
11. Try Not to Sale
When you start to really connect with clients, your services as a real estate agent transform. This is the true secret of selling – it’s not about the sale at all.
Many of the best agents at top real estate companies know this through and through. Making a sale is not about the dollar sign on the property or how fast the deal closes. It’s about making dreams come true.
The more you can relate to your clients and be honest and genuine with them, the better your selling experiences will be.
12. Don’t Turn Down Deals
Last but not least, never turn down a deal.
It doesn’t matter what kind of offer or idea a buyer or seller has come to you with. You can make it happen; you just have to apply yourself. This doesn’t mean you have the right to make crazy guarantees.
Rather, being open to every deal that comes your way means tapping into your resourcefulness, best practices, and other skills to provide the best possible solution for a client.
Building Your Real Estate Business from the Ground Up
As you develop and fine-tune your selling skills, you may want to start a real estate business of your own to create some more work/life balance.
But, much goes into running a successful operation.
In addition to pleasing your clients and offering exceptional service, you’ll have a budget to handle, a team to hire, and more. For tips and tricks on how to get your business up and running, click here.
