Top 10 Questions Real Estate Agents Ask Their Real Estate Coach
Our Coaching calls are filled to the brim with GREAT questions! We’ve compiled some of the top 10 questions real estate agents ask a real estate coach! See if any sound FAMILIAR!
No matter how long you have been a real estate professional, you probably have some questions! They may even sound like some of these top 10 questions agents ask their coach!
Every coaching call is unique, with an interesting mix of questions from agents across North America. Some issues are things most agents will never see in their lifetime, but there are some questions we call “Frequent Fliers” because they come up often. We’re here to put those answers in one place.
Here are 10 Top Questions Real Estate Agents Ask Their Coach
ONE: “I’m doing all this work for these potential buyers, but how do I keep them from buying with another agent?”
This is always a packed question, but here’s the answer in a nutshell: First, you should never do the work before a potential client hires you and signs a Buyer Agency Agreement to commit to you. If they won’t sign, they are already telling you they will “cheat” on you with another agent. Second, there is a difference between clients and customers – you help a customer, but without a commitment, you don’t go out of your way. Clients, on the other hand, have chosen to commit, and thus, you bend over backward to serve them because you know they are as committed to you as you are to them. Third, outlining the expectations of both parties and being clear on the type of relationship you will have can prevent the confusion and disappointment that results when you aren’t on the same page or even reading from the same book!
TWO: “How can I handle all the objections my sellers have when they aren’t convinced a real estate agent is more than a salesperson?”
There are two things to keep in mind when it comes to objections: don’t take them personally, and handling the objection is all about changing a person’s perceptions. One of my favorite ways to handle objections, because it works so well, is to use metaphors and analogies. These are taking concepts that your clients ALREADY believe to be true and drawing the parallel to the objection, and how if they already believe the analogy is true, what they are objecting to is not true because it’s essentially the same thing. How do you create these analogies on the spot? I use the F.O.R.M. acronym – Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Memories.
THREE: “I have been sending out direct mail marketing pieces all over the place, but I’m not getting any response.”
There are a few things to note when making the decision to send direct mail marketing out. First, a one-off mailout is not going to be effective because, according to the Direct Mail Association’s studies, it takes at LEAST three mailings before anyone starts to connect your name to your face and a whopping 7 or 8 before they consider you a trusted fixture in the neighborhood. Second, if you are on a budget, it’s better to send several mailouts to a smaller group than one or two mailings to a large group. The secret sauce to getting responses is consistency; direct mail marketing should not be done until you have the money and are prepared to build a whole campaign around it. Third, your mailings will be harder to throw away when they are information pieces that will be useful to those receiving them. The longer they keep them, the longer they associate your name and face with real estate.
FOUR: “How do I get homeowners to hire me when I have no experience?”
Nobody wants to feel like they give off that “new agent smell”, so getting hired when you have no experience takes confidence. You can answer the homeowner by using your company’s long-standing success and history as your own or mention that you are shifting your business to this area. Partnering with a seasoned agent can take the pressure off as you build confidence and experience, and knowing your listing presentation backward, forwards, and sideways will help you be more confident. Last, but not least, approach the conversation with the attitude of serving, not selling. Building rapport and trust will win you listings because when a homeowner likes and trusts you, they will want to work with you.
FIVE: “How can I make my Open Houses a better experience and get more leads?”
Open houses serve a multitude of purposes that range from selling the home to getting leads to building your reputation. Some quick tips to make your open house stand out are:
1) Do three open houses – one for brokers and agents only, one for the neighbors, and a public open house. Each one is tailored to the audience you are hosting and lets you meet and connect with other homeowners in the neighborhood.
2) Partnering with local food vendors to supply treats, prizes, and food; and hosting your event at “non-typical” times goes a long way for your guests.
SIX: “How can I balance life and work with everything I’m supposed to do every week?”
Time management is one of the biggest struggles of people in general, and even more for real estate agents. In fact, time is only part of the problem – we also have trouble with self-management and attitude-management! To bring things in line, get laser-focused on and enthusiastic about your goals. When you are really passionate about the goals and vision you have set, you’ll automatically do the most productive things to achieve those goals. By managing our actions in the time that we have, we can focus on working from our objectives rather than from a crisis. Let’s be honest; we can’t get everything done in a day, but if we choose 3 things every morning, that NO MATTER WHAT will get done, we will accomplish more with those 3 tasks than the 853 things that partly get done because we tried to do it all.
SEVEN: “How do I go from being a part-time agent to full-time? I’m worried I won’t get enough business to pay my bills.”
The biggest hurdle for part-time real estate agents is being available, particularly for buyers who want to go look at homes, and scheduling is a factor. For agents who are still part-time, focus on getting listings rather than working with buyers because marketing a home doesn’t require a schedule, and listing appointments can be scheduled around your available time. As you work on transitioning into a full-time real estate career, focus on getting listings, door knocking, calling FSBOs and Expireds, and asking your broker for any past clients that are no longer represented by an agent in your office. Also, take the time to get to know your community and take advantage of your neighborhood’s Facebook community page to help residents.
EIGHT: “How do I know when I’m ready to start building a team?”
One of the biggest Next Level® goals we hear from our POWER AGENTS® is their desire to create a team of agents and support staff to grow their business. The first place to start is to hire someone who can manage the parts of your business that need to be done but don’t make you any money. Having those tasks off your plate frees you up to prospect and focus on serving your clients. Whether your assistant manages your posts on social media, handles the mailing of marketing materials, or any of the other back-end tasks, they will also be a help to other real estate agents when they come on board in the future.
NINE: “How can I keep up with all the social media platforms? Posting feels like a full-time job!”
There are a LOT of social media platforms, and it seems like new ones are popping up every day. Trying to use them all will only exhaust you, so choosing one or two that you really like and developing your brand on them will be much more manageable on your heart, soul, and schedule! Using hashtags properly, posting videos, and creating a unified theme will help your social media (and YOU) to get noticed! There are also several scheduling tools that you can use to post consistently to all of your platforms because if you automate as much as you can, that free time can be spent focusing on prospecting or another aspect of your business that will get you clients and listings.
TEN: “What do I do when most of the FSBOs and Expireds I want to call are on the Do Not Call list?”
I want to reassure real estate agents everywhere that I have had my team of lawyers look into the legalities of this. You absolutely CAN call FSBOs and Expireds, even if they are on the do not call list, and this is why — they are putting their phone number out there and literally saying, “I’m selling my house, CALL ME.” It isn’t considered an unsolicited call because the homeowner is asking you to call, nothing is being sold, and no transaction of funds. When it comes to Expireds, it isn’t considered an unsolicited call when you have a prior relationship. Since their home was listed on the MLS, real estate agents are like sub-agents to the listing because they are authorized to show the home. However, I need to add here that if your Broker tells you not to call FSBOs and Expireds on the Do Not Call list, then you need to listen to your broker.
Related reading: Market Leader – Why Every Agent Should Get Real Estate Coaching
Related reading: Realty Executives – Why You Should Hire a Real Estate Coach
What are YOUR Questions?
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