How to Build Rapport with Home Sellers

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Transcript:

Today we go over Step #3 of the Listing Appointment Process: Build Rapport, Make a New Friend.

I remember when I went on listing appointments, it was such a relief to not have to go out and win the business. Mike Reese, a coach of mine, described his listing appointments as like going out to make a new friend.

This was a revelation for me, to realize that when you're going on a listing presentation, you simply going to build rapport with another human being you want to serve. You want to gain an understanding of why they're moving and really care about how it goes.

Most buyers go in thinking you're a nasty salesman, a commission hound out to get their money. The key is to break through that by giving them the best solution to their problem. If they need to move or be relocated before the school year, you take their specific needs very seriously.

Find common ground, look at pictures, talk about things they've done to their home, and comment on things you find around their house; this isn't the opportunity to make suggestions on things they have to fix around the house or rooms that need to be staged, it's the time you need to take to build a rapport.

A few years ago, I had a home seller that told me he was basically dying. He was a very successful businessman and I was able to get him to break down exactly what was going on. When he listed too high, he was very stubborn and wouldn't budge his price.

When it came down to it, I knew I had made a friend and we had some common ground. I knew it was worth less than he was asking, and we had an intense conversation about it. I'm getting choked up talking about it, but if you can build that type of rapport and truly serve your clients, it will change the way you do business forever.

If you want a good guide for handling people, I recommend reading a classic: "How to Win Friends & Influence People". It covers three fundamental techniques in handling people, 6 ways to make people like you, 12 ways to win people to your way of thinking & 9 ways to change people without arising resentment. These tips should help you to make connections on your listing appointments and, ultimately, win more clients.