I’ve got four scenarios that could cause you to lose a client if you don’t say the right thing.

What you say matters—and that is why scripts work. We’re in this new market where every single conversation has major implications when you’re trying to help people make a huge financial decision. 

And if you don’t know what to say, you could lose the client. 

We’ve seen agents across the country run into these four common situations. So I’m going to break down each one and tell you exactly what to say to make sure you’re not losing clients. 

Scenario 1: You Have Personal Commitments

The first scenario is when the buyer wants to see a home at a certain time, but you’re not able to make that time due to a personal commitment. 

Here are some of the mistakes agents make when this happens. They say things like:

  • “I have a date with my spouse that night.”
  • “I have to pick my kid up from a soccer game.”
  • “I’m not available, because I have a hair appointment.”

    Listen: the client doesn’t care about your personal commitments. 

    And I’m not saying these things aren’t important. I’m saying you need to adjust what you say to your clients surrounding these types of commitments. They want their agent to be available all the time. 

    Instead, tell the client you have an appointment and give them two other alternative times to meet. 

    Unfortunately, I have another appointment at that time. Instead of 2:00 pm, I can meet you at 12:00 pm or 3:30 pm. Which one is better for you?

    It’s important to offer two different times—it’s called an alternative choice close—and come up with a solution for them. Because if you don’t offer solutions, they might go call an agent who will.

    Scenario 2: Your Client Wants to See a House that Went Under Contract

    Another common situation is when you receive an inbound call from a new client or prospect about a home that already went under contract. 

    Here’s the mistake agents make: 

    • “Sorry, that house sold already, but I’ll put you on an MLS drip.”

    That is a reactive response. When you do something like this, people are going to continue to look on their own and think of you as someone who doesn’t offer any solutions. You want to make sure you are playing offense in your business at all times. 

    Here’s what you can do instead: set the appointment, and then call them back with a solution. Use this script: 

    Hey Wendy, unfortunately, the home we were going to look at it 123 Banana Street went under contract and it just got updated, so we can’t get into it. So what I’ve taken the liberty to do is set up two other properties that are similar. One is right in the same neighborhood. It’s priced a little lower, it’s a little smaller. I’ve got another one about two miles away that is the same sort of size, same bedrooms, same bathrooms and just in a different neighborhood. Why don’t we keep the appointment, I’ll show you these two, and if anything, it’ll help you get a feel for what’s out in the market. And then I’ll make sure that you’re getting notified in real time with any new listings that come to the market moving forward. So, do you want to keep the appointment?

    Again, with this script, you are offering solutions and bringing value to the table. You’re showing the folks that you care about them and are focused on solving their problem, which is to find a house. 

    If there are no other homes to show, or they’re not interested in looking at them, flip the conversion to this:

    Why don’t we set up a strategy session? We can set up a meeting so we can talk about how this won’t happen to you again, and I can keep you updated and walk you through how the process works.

    Even when there are no other homes to look at, there are ways to provide value so they don’t miss out on homes again. And that’s what consumers want—they want you to help them solve their problems. 

    Scenario 3: A Buyer Wants to Go to an Open House

    Let’s say a buyer, who you don’t have a solid relationship with, wants to go to an open house. This can get a little dicey, so you have to make a judgment call. 

    A mistake agents make is to say:

    • “Sure, go ahead to the open house.”

    Instead, give an alternative choice. You can say:

    Open houses tend to be kind of crazy. I can schedule a private tour for you before the open house, either the day before, the morning of, or after the open house. Which one’s going to be better for you?

    That way, you’re in control. You’re the one meeting them there instead of exposing your client or prospect to another agent who’s trying to do the same thing. (Which I can’t blame them for, by the way. We’re all trying to sell houses.)

    If they insist on going to the open house, you can still show your value:

    Let me do this: I’m going to call the listing agent and let them know you’ll be coming. So they’ll leave you alone, and I’ll get you pre-registered.

    Either way, you’ve got to take control and make sure you’re the one driving the bus. Because if you’re not, you could potentially lose a client. So offer two times to show them the house or pre-register them for the open house and let the listing agent know. 

    Scenario 4: A Lead Says They Already Have an Agent

    The final scenario is when a new lead calls the office about one of your listings and says, “I already have an agent.”

    That statement can mean a lot of things. It could mean they met somebody once, it could mean they are on an MS drip, or it could mean they are working with somebody and they’re not happy. 

    I’m not saying to steal other people’s clients or interfere with another agent’s clients. That’s not what’s happening here. What I’m saying is, “I have an agent” can mean a lot of different things. 

    The mistake agents make is to hang up the phone and never reach out with added value. 

    Instead, come from a place of service. When you treat them like a client by sending them properties, following up, asking how it’s going with their agent, and answering questions that they have, you’re more likely to gain a new client if they aren’t happy with whoever they are working with. 

    It may not be going well with the other agent—that could be why they’re calling you. If it is going well, awesome, let them work with that person, give them information and move on. When you treat your business like a professional service and do the right thing 100% of the time, you’re going to win more clients. 

    Final takeaways

    Those are four situations that are killing buyer relationships right now. Study these scripts so you can remember them the next time one of these scenarios pops up. Because when you offer solutions, give away information, and provide value, your business will benefit. 

    Ready for more scripts to combat objections? Check out my BAMx course: The Complete Guide to Objection Handling in Real Estate.