Initial Consult in a "Busy" world?

Replies:

• 
• by
  • tenacity
  on Jul. 1, 2009 at 9:25 AM

• 
  

  Quoting miko1982:
  
  

  Do you ALWAYS do an initial consultation at the office - in person... or at an agreed place.... or do you just chat on the phone...on-line?

   

  What works best for you?

  I do the chat.  :-) Lots of newbys and the older ladies in my building bring'em in to meet and take copies of their licenses. (uh-huh, licenses)

  I, personally, do not have time for a sit-in.  :-)  I email a few times and call on the phone.  I like to get a feel for them as a person. It's fun to see if I can read them correctly. 

  Not about a home, but who they are.  Like hard-nose, or a princess. You know it kinda tells me if I can joke around with them or if I need to be all serious.

  I very few times have met with people before doing that and I find it very awkward not to know them at all since I didn't chat with them prior to the showings.
  

  Mary Wilcox
                 Realtor
  Reece & Nichols
  Kansas City Metro Area
  816.407.5284   email me:  marywilcox@reeceandnichols.com

• 
• by
  • miko1982
  on Jul. 1, 2009 at 10:50 AM

• Yeah, I have a done a bit of it all to find what works best... but lately I am finding more than I would like to admit that once I am working with them and ask them to pick which properties... A FEW,  not all have taken the houses I have given and tried to haggle with the other Realtor or owner! Thinking they can come down in price - so I am a bit frustrated and wondered if a class of sort should be given as to how the process works...

  call/chat to get a feel

  then meet at the office and explain... IN A SHORT PRESENTATION?

  (1-2 minutes)  I myself would be bored..

  
  

  . but on the 2 that I have lost - their comment was we thought if we went about on our own we could get a better deal - we just did not have all of the houses available on the public MLS!!   Twice in 6 weeks - so I am getting frustrated!!!!!! 

  
  

  Most people watch the home shows so.... they should know... especially when they are serious of buying!

  Anyway, that is my problem at the moment and of the 5 years it has been rare up until this past year... but twice in 6 weeks.... I am just miffed. 

  
  

    Do I require a buyers agreement? that is aother post in itself!    They should show that in some of these shows they have - how do they get them to sign one without them feeling trapped!?
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

• 
• by
  • DKellyU
  on Jul. 1, 2009 at 8:20 PM

• You can ask them to sign a business relationship agreement valid only for that one day, and only for the properties you show them on that day. After that they're free to do whatever they want. Explain that it doesn't them bind them in any way, it just ensures that you'll be fairly compensated by the seller's broker if you're the procuring cause of the sale.

  I almost always communicate with buyers by phone and email before our first showing. Walk-ins are pretty rare in our office, and no one is particularly anxious to make an extra trip. Sometimes they'll meet me at the office so they can follow me to the showings if they're not familiar with the area, but most often we meet at the first house.

• 
• by
  • miko1982
  on Jul. 2, 2009 at 12:54 AM

• Thanks!!

  I usually meet at the 1st place...   I will have to find one of those... I have not seen one.  We have buyer agreements that I explain that way, however, I have to mark a few things out to make it say that! 
  

  Quoting DKellyU:
  
  

  You can ask them to sign a business relationship agreement valid only for that one day, and only for the properties you show them on that day. After that they're free to do whatever they want. Explain that it doesn't them bind them in any way, it just ensures that you'll be fairly compensated by the seller's broker if you're the procuring cause of the sale.

  I almost always communicate with buyers by phone and email before our first showing. Walk-ins are pretty rare in our office, and no one is particularly anxious to make an extra trip. Sometimes they'll meet me at the office so they can follow me to the showings if they're not familiar with the area, but most often we meet at the first house.

  
  

• 
• by
  • tenacity
  on Jul. 3, 2009 at 1:10 PM

•  Ok guys... THIS is what *I* believe everyone should know the first time you meet them. 

  Well, in your intro you slide into the fact that ...my office requires me to sign these agreements...yada yada. But, I don't do them immediately because... I like to see if we're a good fit. Buying a home is a huge undertaking, as well as personal, emotional.

  ... so we're supposed to do this to protect ourselves... but I like to see if you're gonna like me and frankly...if I'm gonna like you. (LOL) 

  I'm not sure how familiar you are with the process but as your Agent...   

  THEN...Any commissions on the listed homes are already determined when they are put on the market. The commission is between the Seller and the listing agent.  I'm a Buyer's Agent. (I go in to the rigamoroll of what we do)

  But, the most important thing they should know is:

  You do not pay me at all.  Everything I do for you is free of charge.

   

  and you get what u pay for. LOL LOL LOL <just joking>  I'm pretty darn good if I don't say so myself. sheesh (what drug am I on today?)

  Ok but seriously, they need to know you are a lifesaver in the process and that they (buyer) doesn't pay anything for all the work you're doing.

  Mary Wilcox
                 Realtor
  Reece & Nichols
  Kansas City Metro Area
  816.407.5284   email me:  marywilcox@reeceandnichols.com

• 
• by
  • miko1982
  on Jul. 3, 2009 at 9:23 PM

• You are pretty good!  Thanks for the input - it is always welcome and appreciated!

  
  

  Have a great 4th!
  

• 
• by
  • tenacity
  on Jul. 4, 2009 at 7:56 AM

• Thanks! <smile>

  I wrote that last response while under duress. LOL I had 3 contracts with problems going at once & for some insane reason I thought I should take a break. :-) and write answers. Life has been incredibly hectic this season.  Business is totally booming! 

  That's a good thing if it doesn't kill me.  LOL

  The intro I was talking about is a pretty informal one. Yes i meet at the 1st home.

  And the way I break into a conversation like this is to have a buyer packet with me. Not the agreement but just info on foreclosures and shorts, a freebie or two, the required agency pamphlet, lead pamphlet and customer mls sheets for the homes we're showing that day.

  It's a we have to get this over real quick conversation.

  goes like this.

  Mo law requires i give you this in order to show u homes. It tells u the dif ways u can be represented in a trans.

  This one DA is the way I represent you.

  My Broker requires that we sign a contract between us on our 1st appt. BUT I... (then i say the thing about whether we're gonna like each other) so we can do it later in our relationship.

  Key phrases toget in somewhere are:

  You want someone looking out for YOU. (buyer)

  Seller pays comm. already determined when listed.

  Clarify the LA is strictly working for the seller you need someone on your side etc.

  Lightly touch on the steps of a transaction. Negotiating, meeting the numerous deadlines, (just enough to make an impression that it's a complicated process)

  You do all this for them free of charge and only when you decide to make a purchase...then the seller pays the commission.

  All this is a quick 6-7 minute kind of conversation.

  I've not lost a client that I've actually met in person/showings.

  But, I've purposely not taken one on after getting a feel for them.

   

   

  Mary Wilcox
                 Realtor
  Reece & Nichols
  Kansas City Metro Area
  816.407.5284   email me:  marywilcox@reeceandnichols.com

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