Asking for the Order

There comes a time in every listing presentation when it’s time to ask for the order. Learn how to close. Following a great evening during which everything’s gone smoothly, it’s what an agent says in the next five minutes that separates the amateur from the true professional.

Closing is a personal thing. I’ve worked with a number of agents who use excuses to get out of the face-to-face close. I have heard excuses like, “Lee, I just can’t close. I don’t like feeling pushy; I don’t like rejection. I’m not doing it”. I respond by suggesting they perhaps use the reverse psychology approach, saying something like, “Mr and Mrs Williams, this is the part of the evening when I’m meant ask you to list the property with us and sign the necessary paperwork so we can get started. But the last thing I want you to feel is that I am being pushy. Do you have any further questions for me or are you ready to get started?” Alternatively, I would suggest they say something like, “Mr and Mrs Williams, if you decide to entrust me with the sale of your home, rest assured that when I am facing a potential buyer for your property, I will have no hesitation whatsoever in extracting a figure out of them that I know you will be delighted with. I will do everything in my power to reach that ‘yes’ from the buyer and a ‘yes’ from you that confirms the sale. But before I can do any of that I need your authority to represent you. Do you feel comfortable going ahead?”

McGrath CEO, John McGrath said many real estate agents simply do not know how to ask for the business when dealing with prospective vendors. Here are a couple of his best closing questions:

“If we run through our strategy and you’re comfortable with that, is there anything that would preclude you from using our company and getting started today?”

“If we sold the property for a price you were ecstatic with today, where would you be off to?”

And to the eternal question of how long it takes to sell their property, John answers, “No property is ever sold in days, hours and minutes. Price equals time, meaning if you want to be cheeky on price this could take a while. However, if there’s a certain timeline that you’d like to be out of here, let me know and I will price the property accordingly.”

No matter what approach you choose with your close, remember you must take the lead in the dance if you want to win listings.

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An extract from Lee Woodward’s Frameworks Book.

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