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Most of us have at times made quick decisions we wish we’d never made (I’ve made many of them), but fortunately we have the power to change those bad decisions. I learned these scripts at a workshop for CRS instructors a few years ago, and I’ve certainly put them to good use. I realized all of you might find them useful as well, so I’ve written this blog “Four Scripts that Help Resolve Difficult Situations” to share them with you. These scripts make it possible to make better decisions because they give you time to think AND a way to correct bad decisions you may have made.
Situations and Scripts
Situation #1 – From an agent to the broker: “As you know, this seller’s been very uncooperative, so I’d like to cancel the listing ASAP. Is that okay with you?”
Script #1: “Is there anything else we could do?” This is a very logical response that calls for more information, which in many cases causes the other person to solve their own problem. This script also comes in handy when a committee is discussing a decision that just doesn’t seem logical.
Situation #2 – From the title company: “The buyers of your listing are $1,200 short of the funds necessary to close the loan. Would you be willing to give up $600 of your commission if the buyers’ agent will also contribute the same amount so we can close this loan today?”
Script #2: “I want to think it over.” This reply gives a person ample time to think about other alternatives, such as who else could make a contribution besides the real estate agents – for example, the title company themselves – or reviewing the closing statement to see if any other adjustments could be made. Knowing this script makes the response almost automatic.
Situation #3 – From a potential seller: Yesterday a prospective seller Read the rest of this entry »
No matter who you are or what profession you’re in, including real estate, you don’t have to tolerate the abuse of a Difficult Person. This blog “Techniques for Handling Difficult People” grew out of conversations I’ve had in the past week with people who’ve had these unpleasant encounters with customers, other agents, brokers, service people, children, and spouses. I wrote it with the hope that it will help you protect yourself in your next encounter with one of any one of these difficult types.
Profile of Difficult People
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1. They come in all ages. Some of the best examples I’ve seen are in McDonald’s on Saturday morning with the 3-year-old whose mother/guardian wouldn’t give him a cookie and the child on the plane whose mother would not let him run up and down the aisle (he locked himself in the airplane restroom!).
2. They act the same with all people. All of us have a bad day and say something we regret, or stomp our foot, or scream and shout. I can remember some of the antics I’ve pulled of which I’m still ashamed, but truly difficult people pull them so often and with so many people that they can’t possibly remember every episode. Chances are good that the person screaming and cursing at you over the phone has done that same thing many times before.
3. They don’t stop on their own. I’ll mention some techniques below to protect yourself from difficult people, but changing Read the rest of this entry »
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I’ve been in the real estate business most of my adult life. It takes a lot to surprise me, but this new real estate market has been a real shocker. It seems like it was only last year that we were struggling with a lack of sales, and now we’re faced with multiple offers in many markets! We’re also dealing with a new homebuyer who has different tastes than buyers in the past; this new homebuyer is 100% mobile and tech-savvy, does not like talking on the phone, avoids emails, and communicates by texting. (I had to get a new smartphone to communicate with my grandchildren!) These changes, while surprising, have created many opportunities, so let’s focus on three that are just too good to ignore!
3 Big Time Real Estate Opportunities
1. First-Time Homebuyers. This market continues to be the largest segment of the overall buyer market. With new college grads hitting the neighborhoods along with Read the rest of this entry »