All Posts Tagged With: "commissions"
What to ask when picking a selling agent for real estate.
Jennifer McClelland | RSS | Fri, Dec 04 2009 | 0 Comments
When you are going to sell your house, there are a few things that you need to do. First is, do you want to sell the house yourself or go with an agent?
If you go with an agent, when you pick someone you need to make sure that they are familiar with your area (and your neighborhood if possible). There are also some questions that he or she needs to be asked before you sign on the dotted line.
You need to know how the agent is going to advertise your house. Most real estate agents will list your house on the MLS and their own website, but you need to know if they are going to list in newspapers and through other means. Anyway that an agent will advertise will help your house get the most exposure.
When you do this, also make sure that they are putting pictures up. The more pictures the better. Think about it, if you want to move somewhere far away and you go to a website to look at houses, you will be more inclined to look at the houses with the most amount of pictures.
You should also make sure that the agent is showing you houses in your neighborhood that are accurate comparisons to your own home for the price. If you don’t have a number that you are willing to stick with as far as price is concerned, then seeing the comparable homes in your neighborhood will give you a much better idea as to what you’re going to get.
When it comes to money, you should also see what the agent’s commission is. Most agent’s commissions are not set in stone and if you have a buyer who is not represented by an agent, then the selling agent should cut his or her commissions accordingly.
Your agent should also know a lot about the area. In most cases, “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure” isn’t a good enough answer. For example, if someone comes in to buy your home and asks what school district that your house is in “I don’t know” won’t be acceptable. You need to make sure that the agent knows this information or has a way to get it quickly (via smart-phone or some other hand-held).
Remember, you are hiring them to do a job; just like if you were hiring someone to work for you in any establishment. You should check their references and make sure they are available when you need them. Past performance is key here also.
When checking references, try to get the numbers of the last few people who listed with the agent, not necessarily sold with him or her.
Also when you “interview” him or her, make sure that you know how they have done in the past. If they sold a lot of realty last year, ask how much they didn’t sell.
Related posts:How you can increase the value of your house in this market
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Tags: set in stone, mls, commissions
Closing a sale could be as easy as picking the right words
Jennifer McClelland | RSS | Wed, Oct 21 2009 | 0 Comments
Closing a sale can be one of the most difficult things you find yourself doing in the workplace; especially if you really need the sale or it is a large sale. In a workplace situation where you are paid based on commissions from selling straight to the customer or even to other businesses, every sale is important. So, what are some helpful words to use to close a sale? Just take a look at the picture above…Two familiar faces (the Mac guy and the PC guy) are standing there. The PC guy is trying to use “words” to sell you on a PC.
Tom Niesen, a contributing writer for the Dallas Business Journal had a few interesting points to make when it comes to closing a sale with a potential buyer.
He first says to not put words into your potential buyer’s mouth. Some people may see this as you trying to manipulate them.
He then goes on to say that you really need to try to uncover the right words. You have to figure out what words are the best choices for what you have to offer.
“Begin by writing down three key features or benefits. They might be related to quality, customer service or lead times – whatever makes your offering superior. Make the language simple, easily understood and memorable.”
I think his next point is the most important point when it comes to making a sale. You have to be able to put yourself in your client’s position. Once you take each of the three features you have described, your potential customer will ultimately think “And???” or “So what?” Answering this question can be difficult so you need to know exactly how the service or product can benefit them. This is where you have to find a value statement that fits their needs.
“An advertising agency prided itself on a key sales point: ‘We are quick and responsive.’ We said: ‘So what?’ The agency responded, “We can make changes fast.” Again, we asked, ‘So what?’ The answer provided the agency’s ultimate selling point: ‘When you shut your eyes and envision how you would like your company to be perceived, we can make it happen — now.’”
Another interesting tip he has is to repeat the potential customer’s words back to them. He uses the example that a potential customer says “We’re not interested right now” and he would go on to say, “You’re not interested right now, unless my product is guaranteed to make you money, right?” It uses the customer’s own words to show that you were not only listening, but you can also guarantee your product.
Of course, all clients are different.
Related posts:What to ask when picking a selling agent for real estate.
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Tags: workplace situation, dallas business journal, choices
