Periodic tips and reminders to help focus your by-owner marketing and win your commission-free sale - from Canada’s by-owner web-site, www.privatelist.com.

THIS ISSUE:      Show and Sell

ARCHIVES:     www.privatelist.com/newsletter.htm

SHOW AND SELL

Your full-color Internet display, just like your classified ad, highlight sheet and lawn sign - has but one purpose: to generate phone calls from buyers so you can qualify them (see Timely Tips 2 and 11) - inviting those who qualify to view the property in person.

Now it's show-time . . .

preparation

• in making the appointment, be sure to get the buyer’s phone number, "just in case I have to postpone" - you're then more likely to be informed if they have to cancel, and you have a way to follow up later
   
• if you're at all concerned about security, have a friend with you during evening showings; and pack away any valuables - you should feel comfortable leaving buyers alone in any room in the house
   
• use our Timely Tips essay, Clean, Clear and Neutral, as a guide on how to prepare the house itself
   
• review your marketing folder, so you're prepared to offer (or know where to find) information regarding title, neighborhood, operating costs, etc.
   
• day or night, turn on all the lights; in the evening, close the drapes and light the fireplace. Put Fido in the garage with the kids (just kidding - the kids can stay in the den, with the TV turned down

introductions

• don't start listing the home's features as soon as buyers step through the door: instead, relax with a little small-talk and ask about their kids, pets, hobbies and interests - in short, try to discover what's important to them
   
• now that you have some idea of their priorities, mention a few features that match those needs - and use them to offset any negative feature that might be encountered during the tour (see our essay Good vs. Bad Objections on how some objections are actually a positive sign)
   
• be patient and optimistic: no matter how many people have been through the house, treating each new prospect as your first may help them become your last (ie. your buyer)!

the walk-through

• once you've broken the ice, offer your prospects a quick tour, starting with the basement and ending with the best room in the house (often the living-room). Point out little features the buyers might otherwise miss, but with a light touch - no pressure!
   
• then make yourself scarce: let the buyers stroll through again at their own pace, imagining and discussing how your place might work for them

post-showing

• don't be in a rush to end the showing if the buyers don't immediately reach for their cheque-book: encourage them to ask questions, and approach any objections or hesitation they may have as an opportunity to engage in a little problem-solving, ie., "how can we both make this happen?" If they join in the exercise, you may be headed for a sale!
   
• refer them to our resource library if they seem uncertain about financing, legalities, etc.
   
• have blank offers to purchase available (or at least our annotated guide), along with your highlight sheets, a list of what's included/excluded with the property, notes on neighborhood amenities and a sketched map to facilitate a return visit
   
• DO NOT negotiate verbally: any probing regarding price should be met with the response "We'll consider very seriously an offer in writing." Better yet, in the rare case where the buyers seem ready to deal right away, offer to get a pot of coffee going if they'd like to start by filling in some of the minor clauses . . .

follow-up

• if the buyers leave (much more common, even if they eventually buy), invite them to call should further questions arise, and ask if you might check with them in a few days for their impressions (see newsletter #4).

Bottom Line

In a normal market, it can take several months for you to find your buyer. Every "No" brings you closer to a "Yes", so don't beat yourself up trying to make prospects like your house.

Instead, just help them relax, invite them to share what's important to them in a home, gently emphasize the features that meet their needs, and give them a little room to imagine.

Leave them with a good impression of you and let the house speak for itself.

FRIENDLY REMINDERS . . .

It's important to maintain an active marketing focus until your property is sold. Just an hour every week-end, spent reviewing progress to date and mapping out a response, can pay real dividends.

Therefore, each e-mail version of PrivateList PROACTIVE ends with a series of reminders, and links to tips and tools for your on-going campaign.

To access these resources, press here.

©2000 PrivateList