Whether you’re working with a buyer or a seller (perhaps even a landlord or renter), it’s important to set expectations. The reason why most people feel dissatisfied with the service provided is that it wasn’t what they had hoped or expected.
Recently, one of my agents shared that some clients for whom she had written multiple offers for told her, “You know what, we’re done here. We’re just going to continue living at home with our parents.” She now feels like there’s nothing she can do to pull them off the ledge. However, she neglected to have an all-important conversation up front, which should’ve gone something like this:
“Thank you for choosing me. Let’s dive right into our standard buyer consultation. Before we start, you should know it’s a very competitive market right now; you need to be prepared to write multiple offers to secure a home. When you find one you like, don’t put all of your eggs in that one basket and become emotionally attached.
“Clear expectations are the best way to avoid unpleasant surprises.”
There’s a chance that it will receive multiple offers, and we may not get it. Of course, we will be as aggressive as we can be, and in fact, we have a whole list of strategies we can use to help your offer stand out to the seller. The truth is, however, we could easily end up submitting many offers on many different properties before we get one under contract.”
I believe that if this expectation is set for your clients, they’ll be less liable to feel disappointed or unpleasantly surprised. Hopefully, they’ll embody an upbeat, ‘on to the next one’ mentality, and you need to be leading by example with that kind of positivity.
Some things in the home buying or selling process will always be the same (you need to clearly explain those as well), but you need to be sure you’re adequately preparing your clients for the current market climate. Having them acknowledge the potential rollercoaster of emotions that lies ahead will be invaluable in keeping them invested in the journey with you.
Hopefully, this message helped you better understand the long-game importance of upfront honesty. As always, reach out with questions on this or any other real estate-related topic. I look forward to hearing from you soon!
