As the market reaches frenzied levels and constantly fighting multiple offers becomes a frustration point for agents and clients alike, your level of professionalism can create a competitive advantage for your clients.
In any competitive situation, how you make the cooperating agent feel can make a huge difference in your win percentage. That, along with tried-and-true strategies, will help you succeed in any market. Yes, you still need a great offer, but all things being equal, what can you do to differentiate yourself from the pack of agents making offers? Having a list of helpful strategies and tools, like the one included in the 120 Day Listing Challenge, is just the first step.
Here are some best practices you can implement to separate yourself from the crowd:
1. Find out what is important to the seller. Ask the listing agent if there’s anything like a leaseback, quick close or something else you can do to present an offer that’s more likely to be selected.
2. Present a complete offer. This means reading the MLS remarks, instructions, exclusions and anything else that needs to be submitted as part of your offer.
3. Have your lender make a call. If your offer is financed, your loan officer should be calling and emailing to back up the qualifications of the borrower.
4. Communicate with empathy. While you’re in your client’s corner, that doesn’t mean you can’t put yourself in the other agent’s shoes. Let’s help each other out by being kind and professional.
5. Cooperate. We are called cooperating agents for a reason. There’s nothing worse than an agent who creates friction in a transaction for no reason.
These practices may seem simple from the outside looking in, but add a market that’s on fire, clients who may not understand your commitments outside of work and all the other stressors you face, and it’s easy to throw it all out the window in order to get the work done.
If we’re being frank with one another, we’ve likely all been in a situation where we’ve judged another agent or loan officer based on past experiences. If you want to stand out, maintaining your professionalism and going out of your way to present more than just a great offer can pay dividends for you.
Being a competent, caring professional will not only allow you to create an immediate win for your clients, but also, a reputation for yourself that helps you win by being the agent that other agents want to work with. If you want an outline of the simple tools and strategies from the 120 Day Listing Challenge, contact jon@workmansuccess.com to get your eBook today.
Chance Brown is the broker/owner of CB&A, REALTORS® in Houston, Texas. Brown was the REALTOR® of the Year in Houston in 2017 and is a valued client of Workman Success Systems, a real estate coaching company.
