So I thought I would talk a little today about one of the ways you can get the most out of a first encounter with a Realtor. Often I have heard complaints from the public about our business practices... we can address those all in due time, but today I am going to talk about that "first phone call".
The first call is the one you make when you have just decided to buy or sell, and call up a Realtor. Often people who are new to the business of real estate are nervous and don't know quite what to ask or to expect. Maybe you got the Realtor's name from the newspaper, TV or radio spot, or maybe from a for sale sign in the neighbourhood.
So you call them and they don't call you back. How did that happen! Why didn't they call you back!?
Understand that most Realtors simply cannot call you back within 10 minutes, this is not realistic. They could be driving, or out showing homes with clients. Unless I let my clients know ahead of time that I am expecting a call I will not answer or return calls when with those clients. The ones I am with deserve my full attention.. wouldn't you want the same from your Realtor?
Also, keep in mind that sometimes Realtors are busy, unfortunately they may forget to call you back, or may not have the time that day. You decide what a fair and realistic amount of time is to wait for a call back... if you haven't heard anything from them, just give me a call! All Realtors have access to the same information, and I can certainly help you out!
But back to the initial phone call!
First off you should know that a lot of Realtors use their office or a paging service to manage their calls, so most likely the person you talk to on the phone is from the Realtor's office or is from the paging service... those people do not know personal info about the Realtor or the listing you may be calling about. They will take a message and send out a page to that individual with your information. You want to make the most out of that first call, you want the Realtor to know you are a serious buyer or seller, and you want to make sure the Realtor is the one for you.
For effective call back and meeting strategy, do the following:
1. Give your full name and number, and use a real number, not a fake one!
2. Leave a small note saying what it is you are looking for information on. Are you interested in a property they have listed? Want to know about listing your home for sale? The more information you leave, the better chance you have of them calling you back.
3. When speaking with the Realtor make sure to be open to giving your information out, and feel free to ask questions of the Realtor. When a Realtor asks you for your full name and alternate phone numbers, it is not because they want to stalk you, its so we can contact you better. Also, a person willing to give out that information is a client who is serious about selling/buying.
4. When making appointments with Realtors, do not request that they meet you in odd places... this will make the Realtor nervous and make them think that you are not really interested in real estate. Saying things like "lets meet in a parking lot" Or "I get off work really late, the house I want to sell is vacant, shall we meet at 10pm?" Will NOT get the Realtor to call you back! These are "red flags" to a Realtor and suggest that it is ill will you have in mind, not house shopping. So if you are really serious, be open to meeting at their office first.
5. Pay attention to the Realtor on the other end of the phone, are they asking questions that focus on what you are looking for? They should be!
6. Make an appointment to meet if you feel a good vibe from the person. This meeting will help you get an better feel for the Realtor, get questions answered, and start to rev up that excitement! Also, it gives us Realtors a chance to educate our clients... I strive to be the best link my clients can have to the world of real estate, and you as a client deserve nothing less.
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