Buying a home is perhaps the most biggest purchase a Filipino can make in his lifetime. On the other side of the coin, selling a home is naturally a long, complex process to move your homebuyer from inquiry to the closed sale stage.
But just after you have entertained their every question, send out brochures and property recommendations, and prepared home amortization tables, you’d probably heard the following or similar phrases too many times:
“Can I get back with you on this?”
“We are still deciding.”
“I am still waiting for my (insert decision maker).”
“I am just shopping.”
For most salespeople, they consider these statements as a sign to move on to another interested client. But if you are the type of professional who cares enough to understand what the client wants, you’d probably understand that the pause or hesitation often comes from valid concerns that giving them space is only reasonable.
But the real question is how do you give clients space enough for them to get back with you and not drop the inquiry, or worse, carry out the inquiry with another salesperson?
Marvie Cababat, a ZipMatch top broker from Megaworld, said that being attentive to your client during the waiting game oftentimes bear fruit. Her persistence led her to close a sale a year after communicating with the client. She said,
I continued giving [my client] updates of our new terms and deals. After more than a year of communicating about our projects, she finally bought a one-bedroom executive unit in Bonifacio Global City.
Want to close a sale without being pushy like Marvie? Here are ways how:
1. Be present without being a pest.
Do not be shy implying that you will follow up on their purchasing decision. Ask client when would be a good time to get back with them for a decision. Never contact them outside the schedule agreed by the client.
2. Send updates that are in relation to your client’s homebuying inquiry.
These can either be recommended properties, project updates, real estate market update, and status of the property your client was initially eyeing for.
If you are to suggest similar condos, houses and townhouses for sale, limit these options to a couple or three according to your client’s preferences (ex. budget, property type, or location).
Tip: If you want to build relationship with your client (and in case, you are in really good terms), you can also send personal messages like a birthday greeting. This will make them feel that you don’t only remember them just for a sale.
3. Before moving forward with the client’s decision, ask first if there is anything else you can answer for them.
There’s nothing a client wouldn’t want if he or she is not in control in the decision-making process. If your client is still undecided, nudge him or her to give an answer by either:
- giving them an alternative – e.g. Do you want condo near the mall or the school?
- assuming they will sign – e.g. What day is best for us to prepare the Reservation Agreement/Letter of Intent for signing?
4. When you’re talking to them though, avoid making the following salespeople mistakes:
- Never do hard sell.
- Never veer off-topic. If during the conversation the client discussed something not related, carefully and subtly bring the conversation back to the topic.
- Never end a conversation in a negative tone. Turn negative responses or remarks into positive statements.
5. Make the social connection.
If you cannot make the connection during your sales pitch, you can stay in your client’s peripheral vision via social media. You can invite him or her to like your Facebook page or share an influential article or photo (e.x. property photos, open house photos, neighborhood guides) that could help move your client to decide on the property he or she is looking at.
6. Understand when to actually back off.
Reach out with one last email and make it clear that you are here to provide value. It’s the salesperson’s responsibility to be pleasantly persistent with the right amount of prospects.
Above all these, don’t be discouraged. Empathize with your client and try to get insights on which part of the homebuying process are they having problems so you can provide solutions.
Read how a real estate broker did it, closing a P58.6 million real estate sale in one of the most priciest residential developments in the metro.
