Brokerage Public Service Announcement - DON’T SLOW PLAY THE OFFER.

Brokerage Public Service Announcement - DON’T SLOW PLAY THE OFFER.

When you get an offer in your hot little hands, run with it. Present it swiftly AFTER you have thoroughly read it and distilled its contents into a bulleted list in an email to the client. Save the document in your transaction file first. Give your client the Cliff notes, don’t make a busy person confront a 5- or 6-page document, break it down for them. Especially if that client’s main business is not real estate related. No doctor wants to read through the document you send with a one-line email “Here is the offer”. If you do that you are only encouraging a delay. Your job is to create speed and clarity, the simple act of breaking the offer into bullet points will help keep momentum rolling, even if the client doesn’t open the attachment right then, they will get the gist of the deal points quickly and begin consideration.

When you are writing your explanatory email describing the attached offer, write something that can be forwarded to the client’s other partners that will make the client look good and informed. And don’t just forward things. Ok, let’s put it this way - I write emails to other agents AS IF they will forward them. See, I anticipate laxity from my counterpart. Just like the trend of bagged lettuce. Humans are slaves to convenience and it is easy to just hit the “forward” button. For example - If I am representing the Buyer, I will write an explanatory email to the Seller’s agent to accompany the attached offer. I will write it persuasively, proving every little point of why the Seller should take my offer. This allows the Seller’s agent to save face in front of their client because I am going to say everything they can’t say without their client (the Seller) thinking they are just trying to get a deal signed and get their commission. Remember I am saying these things, so it can be interpreted as an opinion from an outside party. This lends credibility to what the Seller’s agent has probably been telling their client the whole time. “A cash deal with a small discount is better than waiting around for higher price with financing that could take 4 months.” Most of the time, my explanation will help get the agent’s points across without them saying a word. Works the same way in reverse. If I am representing the Seller – I give the Buyer’s agent the bullet points supporting my Seller’s price position in an email with the response to an offer. ?Fingers crossed that they forward it!

All that being said - DON’T FORWARD EMAILS. Read that again. Don’t immediately type the recipient’s name into the “To” line. Compose the email without addressing it to avoid accidentally sending it prematurely. Take a minute to delete any historic email thread language at the bottom (if you decide to forward) or simply compose a NEW email to ensure no friendly banter between you and the other agent is lurking below. You don’t want anyone to think the agents are in cahoots or have a much warmer relationship than the one between agent and client.

The worst thing you can do is sit on an offer after you’ve been given one. This benefits no one and you will see your commission diminish every hour you let something sit in your court. Even if the offer is more complicated or not exactly what you expect, you must confront the next step which is delivering it with clarity to your client. Always get the balls out of your court as soon as you can. That is the name of the game.

Bridget Richards, SIOR?CCIM

BRAND Real Estate & Development?