CREATE URGENCY
OVERCOME BUYER RELUCTANCE
I
read an article recently that totally summed up the attitude and mindset of the
majority of buyers right now. The quote
was this, “When they should have been afraid of paying too much, they weren’t.
Now, when they shouldn’t be afraid of paying too much, they are. It seems they are intent on finding ‘The
Greatest Deal Ever’ and it causes them to miss out on the great deals that are
possible. Most believe that they can ‘time’
the market; thinking they have all the time in the world.”
This
rings so true with what we’ve all been seeing lately in this market where there
are quite literally thousands of homes available in just this Central Texas
area. It becomes harder when our
clients, customers and leads may not be listening to us, but instead to
friends, family and co-workers who quite honestly do not know anything about
what this market is truly about.
WE
KNOW that this is the best market EVER to buy a home. But do they?
How do we relay the sense of urgency to our buyers when they’re sitting
back and waiting on a mythical castle, with a lake view, every amenity possible
plus $0 down to fall on their doorstep for $89,000??? Here are some steps you can take that will
take your customers from reluctant to ready!
Remember
this if you don’t remember anything: “There
are two ways to create urgency. Fear of
loss and anticipation of gain.”
Use these tips to get your clients moving.
1.
Display a Ready for
Business Attitude.
Urgency begins before your
customers ever walk through the office, walk up to one of your listings or
simply call you. Think about your
office, is it a friendly entry with curb appeal, are the people friendly that your
clients will meet? Think about your
listings. Is your sign leaning or
falling down? Are your fliers old,
tattered, weathered, or strewn around the front yard? Or simply no fliers at
all? How are you answering your
phone? Are you answering with enthusiasm
and confidence? Do your clients feel
comfortable talking with you on the phone because you sound friendly?
Think about the message
you are sending to your buyers if you’re not ready for business with the atmosphere
of your office, your listings and how you answer and greet people on the
phone. You have to give people a reason
to get out of their car and come in to your office, get out of the car and grab
one of your fliers or continue to speak with you on the phone to tell you what’s
most important to them about a home that they will buy with you.
2.
Motivate the Procrastinators!
Eliminate the
confusion. Keep it simple and make it
fun! Put your personality into it and
have fun with your clients. Don’t take
them to see 15 listings. Take them to
see the top 5. That way they are not
overloaded and get frustrated and start to give up or slow down. Bring something fun for the kids to do. Get your clients involved even if it’s taking
a few of their own notes on each listing page.
3.
Tap into their “Why”.
When they say what they want, ask why? This is how you get the “anticipation of
gain.” If they feel like a house has
everything they need and you solved the “why” behind the “what”, they will pull
the trigger faster. Remember, it is part
of your fiduciary duty to remind them of what they want and need and why they
are buying. It’s their decision but it
is YOU who help them overcome their fears.
If you know all the reasons why they need a home, you can summarize and
remind them that this house has all the things they were asking you to help
them find.
4.
Become the local expert
and back it up with hard facts.
This could be the most important tip. When people believe their friends and
families about market myths and fallacies and reasons not to buy, YOU need to
emerge with solid data. Create a
notebook with the latest articles from reputable sources about how great of a
buyer’s market it is. Include numbers
here in Killeen to show what’s going on and what’s positive. When they start to back up and say things
like, “It’s just not the right time. We’ve got time to think. We’re just not ready now.” That is when you pull out your notebook and
let them look at the solid numbers and hard facts, in writing! Since market expectations can be a powerful
source of motivation, you should be the one setting those expectations and you
should know as much as possible about your local market.
Tell a recent success story of yours. It could be a recent closing, sale, listing
that sold quickly, family that got the perfect home because they moved quickly
and grabbed a new listing that popped up.
Your success makes them want to do business with you.
Finally, get people excited about
making decisions. When you get your
clients excited about finding a perfect home, the urgency will be there.
Note: If you would like a
list of great articles, solid local numbers and facts, send me an email or give
me a call. I’ll give you a good list to
start your Urgency Notebook that you’ll have ready for all your clients.
Written by:
Myka Allen-Johnson
Co-Owner/Realtor at
StarPointe Realty
Myka Allen-Johnson
Co-Owner/Realtor
StarPointe Realty
512-585-3703
