When should I close?

If you show a real estate buyer homes should you close at each home or wait until the end? What would you say?

P.S. I know people in my office can answer my questions but I'd like to get feedback from as many people as possible.

If I were in real estate, I would begin closing as soon as possible. If I could give the clients a ride to the home, I would. It also gives you chance to build rapport. Also allows you to choose the route you take to get there - no surprises - take the scenic route or take the direct route depending on if travel time to/from work is an important factor. On the way over I would build the client's expectations of the home (if it's nice) and assure them it fits their needs from the info they gave me. Make sure to relate each home to what they said they wanted. If you can't find the perfect home, tell your clients that. Either they will determine what is most important to them and pick one or try a different realtor.

Close at each home, but don't hard close on a home you think they might not like. Don't work harder than you have to. No sense showing 6 homes if they really wanted to purchase the 1st.

Don't be too nice - too nice realtors freak me out!

I'm not sure of what you mean by "closing" but when you show someone a house you need to be soliciting feedback. Here are a few examples:

When you get out of the car say, "Before we go into the home what do you think of the area?" If they say, "We're scared for our lives", then get back in the car and move on.
Within the first few minutes, whenever it's appropriate, ask, "So what do you think so far?"
When you're leaving the home after completing a full showing ask, "Is this the one or do we need to continue?"

These are some pretty basic examples but I hope you see the pattern; solicit feedback throughout the process.

You guys are awesome. Thank you for the advice and pointers. I'm soaking it all up. :sm

[quote=realtor]If you show a real estate buyer homes should you close at each home or wait until the end? What would you say? [quote]

The first close should be on the buyers broker agreement in your office. Once the agreement is signed close on every detail and demographic of the type of home they want to buy and the price they can and are willing to pay.

Next, get them approved for a mortgage and committed to an appropriate down payment.

Then, review the MLS listings with the prospects before you take them out to see the homes. Once you're at each house, follow Agent Smith's plan, and then only close on the home they really want to buy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JacquesWerth

The first close should be on the buyers broker agreement in your office. Once the agreement is signed close on every detail and demographic of the type of home they want to buy and the price they can and are willing to pay.

Next, get them approved for a mortgage and committed to an appropriate down payment.

Then, review the MLS listings with the prospects before you take them out to see the homes. Once you're at each house, follow Agent Smith's plan, and then only close on the home they really want to buy.

I only have time for one message but I'll come back tonight. It's going to be a long day.

Yesterday I was given a lead and when I called him back I did ask about financing and coming into the office to meet but he said he just wanted to see the home he had called about and that he would be in that area again and wanted to meet at the home.

What do you do when that happens?

Quote:

Originally Posted by realtor

Yesterday I was given a lead and when I called him back I did ask about financing and coming into the office to meet but he said he just wanted to see the home he had called about and that he would be in that area again and wanted to meet at the home.

What do you do when that happens?

Do the same things at a coffee shop near the home or in your car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by realtor

What do you do when that happens?

Ugh! I hated those calls and we got plenty of 'em. It's like they thought we had people just sitting in their cars waiting for the phone to ring so they could rush out and open the door. Then when you got there they go, "Oh, I this is way too small." Like they couldn't tell that from the outside.

I don't go out cold like that anymore. I just tell 'em, "Listen this is how I do business...". It's harsh but it works.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas

I don't go out cold like that anymore. I just tell 'em, "Listen this is how I do business...". It's harsh but it works.

The "concept" is not "harsh" at all. Now your "delivery" is a different matter all together.

I wished I had any sort of sales experience when it comes to real estate, but I don't. In web sales I close when there is nothing left to say, it's normally the point when, if you wait another second, the potential clients will start asking unnecessary questions. It's then and there that you need to appear confident and close the deal. Timing is everything. I've lost clients that I already had because of needless hesitation. Tell them as much as they need to know in order to make them feel comfortable enough to give you there business.

When should I close?

Closing the Sale Forum