I unexpectedly walked into some controversy with my last post about how to effectively show a home. I talked a lot about how a buyer’s agent should highlight the positives of the home to help the buyer seem themselves in it.

Some of the comments I got included “You sound like you’re selling the home – not a buyer’s agent!”

So – do buyer’s agents sell homes?

YES they do!

Hear me out. Here’s what I mean.

What’s the Point of Being a Buyer’s Agent?

The buyer’s agent has the goal of matching the buyer with a home they will love. But in the end, they need to close the deal.

After all, you don’t get paid unless a deal closes!

So really, your goal is to meet your client’s needs quickly and help them decide on and close on a home. The faster you can do this, the better off your client will be – and the sooner you’ll be able to serve your next client.

So yes – if you don’t sell a home to a buyer, you’ll be showing them homes for the next five years!

How to Best Serve Your Buyer

Now, I am ABSOLUTELY not advocating shoehorning your client into the very first home they see – or any home that isn’t right for them. However, you can save both your client and yourself significant time by taking these steps before you show a home.

Vet the Home in Advance

Your client is looking for a home with a master bath that has a walk-in shower. They probably have other desires as well. Talk to them and get them to rank their non-negotiables so you know what really matters.

Use this list to vet homes before you go. Don’t take them to homes that are outside their price range, doesn’t have the right number of bedrooms, or doesn’t have that walk-in shower. Of course, no home is perfect, but it should tick the “top-ranked” needs.

Every home you show them should be one you think they will love. That makes it very easy to “sell the home” to them – simply explain why you brought them here and what you think they’ll enjoy about it!

Ask Questions When They Suggest a Home

Sometimes clients say they want to see a home that leaves you scratching your head. After all, you can tell that it doesn’t meet their requirements.

Is it good service to go unquestioningly to every listing they mention? No. Instead, ask questions. “That’s interesting, I saw that one but wasn’t sure about it. I thought that a walk-in shower was your number one priority, and this home doesn’t have one.”

Or you can say, “Oh, what excites you about this one? I know it’s in a great area, but I was concerned having only two bedrooms would be a deal-breaker.”

Sometimes you can help them see that it doesn’t meet their requirements before you go – which helps avoid wasting everyone’s time.

Don’t Be Hard to Work With

There’s an art to all of this – you want to save time and focus on the right homes without being belligerent or unhelpful. Don’t refuse to take buyers to a home that they really want to see. But when they see the faults you already pointed out, you can gently say, “I was afraid that would be a concern.”

Remember that the focus is to show your buyer homes they will be excited to put an offer on, and not waste anyone’s time with looking around at every house in the neighborhood.

Know the Reasons for the Showing

A lot of buyer’s agents are so focused on helping their buyers avoid mistakes that they help them nit-pick every listing. It’s an admirable idea, but you can save so much time and focus the search much more when you tell them what’s right about the listing.

When you know your buyer’s needs and have a great reason for bringing them to each home, it comes naturally to focus on the positives.

Of course, there can always be unexpected things! A home with the right number of bedrooms and a walk-in shower can have mold, a broken foundation, or many other things you can’t foresee. Don’t continue to push those homes, obviously! 

However, those unexpected drawbacks don’t happen that often. Most of the time when you have done your homework and have targeted reasons for bringing them to a home, you can highlight those and encourage your buyers to make a deal.

Need to get your marketing ready for the spring season? Check out our buyer’s postcards today!