3 Phrases You Should Never Say to Clients

You know the real estate lingo. You know your market. You know how to run a successful real estate business. But do you know three phrases you should never say to clients?

There are some words your client never wants to hear—and there are other words your client does want to hear, but you should never say. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most important phrases you want to edit out of your vocabulary while you’re talking to your clients.

“We will find the home of your dreams by .”
Never, never promise clients you’ll meet a date for purchasing a new property—whether that’s by Christmas, back-to-school or a change in the season. You can certainly set goals and targets, but promising a definitive date makes you accountable for factors beyond your control, including the inventory on the market, your client’s budget and your client’s personal taste.

“If you do not meet the mark, guess who is blamed?” says Long & Foster agent Denise Supplee. “You—the agent! And rightly so, because truth be told, one never really knows!”

“I will always be there.”
When you’re first learning how to be a real estate agent, it’s important to maintain a work-life balance. One way to sabotage your work-life balance goals right from the beginning? Telling your clients you’ll be available no matter what.

While it might sound like great customer service to be available at any time for your clients, it can be unrealistic. Making a huge promise that you can’t keep could cause even more frustration in your relationship down the line.

“It’s not only difficult to maintain, but impossible,” says Supplee. “I work on a team. I have back-up. In a market where homes can go in a day, in order to prevent missing out on a client’s dream home, it’s almost a mandatory practice—especially when working with investors.”

If you don’t have a team to share the workload with, set working hours and let clients know they can expect to hear back from you quickly within your hours each day.

“We can definitely sell your home at your dream price.”
You might feel like you have a strong grasp on the market in your area, but it’s not a good idea to promise your clients anything when it comes to price, because you have to be prepared for the unexpected.

When you’re learning how to be a real estate agent, it’s important to manage the expectations of your client by educating them about the challenges and opportunities of selling their property.

“I always provide a range,” says Supplee. “I am honest with my potential sellers and make sure they understand how important proper pricing is. There are many listing agents out there that, sadly, just for the sake of listing a home, will tell a seller what they want to hear rather than the cold hard truth.”

How to Be a Real Estate Agent Clients Respect
Instead of trying to please your clients by saying what you think they want to hear, find ways to educate them in the process of buying and selling real estate. Be polite and passionate about creating the best experience for them. This could be the biggest financial decision of their lives, so they’ll appreciate someone who walks them through the process with helpful insights, rather than a people-pleaser who makes them feel good at the beginning but doesn’t ultimately deliver.

Tom Davidson is the general manager of Colibri Real Estate, the national leader in online learning for pre-licensing, continuing education and professional development. Davidson has nearly 15 years in the real estate industry. From sales training and product development to growing the business, his multi-faceted background encompasses crucial functions to a successful career in the field.