Tips to deepen your connections with home sellers

Showcase your personal qualities to home sellers to build trusted relationships with present and future clients.

Expertise, skill, insider knowledge — these are the many attributes that you bring to the table when working with clients. But that’s just one component of your worth. In addition to touting your work experience, you can showcase your work ethic, which has everything to do with who you are as a person. At Weichert®, we believe that people “buy” people first. In this blog, we’ll take a look at how this applies to working with sellers.

By drawing attention to your unique qualities — your personal values, strengths, and principles — you can consistently deliver what home sellers want and need from a real estate broker or agent: someone they can trust to advocate for their best interests.

Here are a few qualities that Weichert agents lean into again and again.

Honesty and Integrity. In 1913, the National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) adopted a code of ethics and standards of practice for REALTORS^® to uphold. The preamble’s golden rule is seen as a rallying cry for honesty and integrity. In a nutshell, it’s the old, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” While, as professionals, we’re already operating under this code of ethics, how can you further display your honesty and integrity to a home seller?

As an example, it can be difficult to have conversations with sellers about their home. There may be times when you want to be truthful about how prospective buyers might view things like clutter, paint colors, or even an odor. How can you have an honest conversation while preserving the seller’s feelings? Find a way, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. There are tips for navigating difficult conversations with clients. Being candid with a home seller will lead to trust, which is the cement for a long-term relationship.

Empathy. That same home seller you may be avoiding a difficult conversation with could be struggling. Have they spent the last 40 years in their home? Are they melancholy about the move? Are they dealing with loss? Is this sale from a place of circumstance or celebration? No matter the situation, selling a home is stressful in both practical and emotional ways. Your ability to be empathetic to their situation will go a long way in building trust. Take time to learn about your client so you can put yourself in their shoes. You can also learn about certain demographics, such as baby boomers, for insights to help you better understand what sellers may be going through at different times in their lives.

Empathy is heightened when you listen well to your home sellers. When in listening mode, ask yourself:

• Am I being an active listener? Am I free from distractions, such as my phone?
• Am I asking follow-up questions? Am I saying phrases, such as “tell me more”?
• Am I reading body language, gestures, and facial expressions?

Good communication. When serving the needs of your home sellers, be sure to communicate well and often. Find out their preferred methods of staying in touch as well as the best times. Some sellers will appreciate texts early in the morning, while others will want phone calls or video chats later in the evening. Ask about any dos or don’ts for showing the house so you can respect their boundaries. The important part is that you know their preferences and that you’re super responsive.

Your communications can also include educational value. Help solve real challenges that home sellers may not even know the full scope of yet. Selling a home can be like a game of chess where each move sets you up for the next. These tips for weighing the pros and cons of selling and buying a home will help clients think through the many details of three key moves:

• Sell first, buy later
• Buy first, sell later
• Sell and buy simultaneously

Confidence.  One of the most important things you can do for your sellers is price their home correctly. Your real estate expertise will allow you to confidently land on an asking price based on a true understanding of the market. Pricing a home too high hurts everyone — your reputation included. At Weichert, we use a proprietary pricing tool called the Weichert Price Trend Analysis (PTA). This goes beyond the basic CMA and comps and takes into account future trends. Your confidence will also shine through when you negotiate on your seller’s behalf. When you handle every stage of the transaction with confidence, you set the stage for your sellers believing in you and trusting you, from start to finish.

Tenacity. Being an agent to a home seller takes hustle. Deals can fall through even with your best efforts. Show your clients that you simply don’t give up. You can pivot smartly and strategically because your true north is always the home seller’s best interests. Represent the seller at the appraisal and the inspection, where permitted. Stop by when the moving trucks pull into the driveway. Let your actions show your home sellers that you’ve got their back throughout the entire journey.

By tapping into your unique qualities as a real estate broker or agent, you can build a reputation for being there for your home sellers. This is sure to ripple into new business. According to NAR, 63% of sellers used an agent that they had worked with before or that was referred to them.

Weichert is here to help you succeed. We have the people, resources, and technology to support you every step of the way. Reach out to us today.