The Power of Previewing
The Power of Previewing
One of the reasons I love watching HGTV is to experience how organized agents show their clients prospective homes. One in particular makes me smile every time my wife and I sit down and watch: Location…Location…Location. It’s a British import featuring agents Phil and Kirstie, the former of which is always previewing homes while Kirstie whisks up psychological profiles of their latest clients whilst viewing initial offerings.
Round about the first commercial break, Phil proudly leads the unsuspecting couple around a home he already knows, taking great effort in ensuring the flow of presentation begins with the home’s best features (according to the client’s ‘Most Wanted’ checklist), and ending with the features that will, inevitably, create the need for Kirstie to burst into her “compromise” speech.
Leading the client toward a desired conclusion is not only skilled salesmanship but a real time saver. However, some agents feel time is better spent touring homes with their clients in tow. That way they can see more homes in less time. With multiple clients to please, this is effective time management.
Others feel that previewing may take a couple of hours but by eliminating homes that you know simply won’t work for your clients, you are, in fact saving time for yourself, and ultimately, your clients.
Of course, feeling confident enough to preview homes for your clients assumes that you are, in fact, in tune with your client’s needs and desires. Some will argue that no matter how much you think you know what your client will like, more often than not, you’ll miss something and the exercise will backfire on you.
But consider this. Many Sellers express concern that agents viewing their homes with their clients for the first time cannot possibly know everything about the house. So how can they present it to their clients in the right light? (Speaking of which, no one looks dumber than an agent combing the walls of the basement blindly in search of an elusive light switch. We’ve all done it.)
There is some merit to this argument and it points toward more use of the preview. I recently embraced the act of previewing with a current client after we had seen 10 homes, lost a bidding war, and sensed we were close to a frustrating closure of the relationship. I, of course, promised that all the homes from now on would be perfectly suitable for consideration. No guessing. No dragging them out to homes that may or may not work.
So I set out previewing. I looked at 7 homes in about 2 hours one morning and booked 3 of the winners to re-visit that night with my client.
But here’s the kicker: When I arrived at each of those three homes, I had a plan in mind. I knew what was good and why it worked for my client. I also knew (or at least had an educated guess) as to what they wouldn’t like, and had a prepared solution to the dilemmna.
Our tour that evening was fun for them, exciting for me (kind of like watching my kids open the big Christmas present), and the whole experience was a positive one.
Why?
Because there were no bad apples. My previewing had eliminated homes that would have dampened their spirits. Every home we saw that night had the potential to be “the” one. The bonus was that the evening was shorter than usual (we only had 3 homes after all) and we spent more time in each one. I knew a lot more about each home (having spoken with the listing agents during the afternoon once I’d chosen my shortlist), and, just like Sandra, I allowed my property virgins to choose from one of three homes that all seemed perfect.
Robert J. Morrow, editor of Hamilton Home Review, publisher of EmailHomes.ca, specializing in Burlington and Hamilton Condos, Homes, Student Homes, and Retirement Living.
For more articles like these on PropertyWire.ca Click Here.
« Burlington, Ontario Condos for Sale – No Money Down? | Home | Burlington, Ontario Condos for Sale with No Money Down? »
Leave a Comment