There are a lot of changes coming up soon with the NAR settlement that will impact buyer agency. A lot of people have been saying that we need to start treating buyer agency and buyers just like we treat listings.
Because too often, with buyers, agents were flying by the seat of their pants. Working with listings was more tactical and specific.
That said, the best agents out there are already taking the buyer consult to a higher level.
So, what I want to do is give you a script that will set up your buyer meeting—and then explain exactly how you want to run that meeting so you can convert more buyers into clients.
The 3-point plan
When it comes to listings, one of the tactics I’ve used constantly is a point of differentiation. Most agents have what I call a three-point plan:
- Put a sign up
- Put it on the internet
- Wait for somebody to show up
I talked about this in last week’s live objection handling event with Byron Lazine, Ben Belack, and Ricky Carruth. At one point, Byron was playing the role of a seller leaning toward the for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) approach to selling his home. I asked him how he planned to market his property. Based on the many conversations he’s had with FSBO sellers, he outlined his strategy, which was essentially that same 3-point plan.
That gave me the perfect opening to lead the conversation toward what my team does differently. You can tune into the replay for the event, starting at 18:28 to hear the whole conversation.
That same three-point plan can be used for buyers, and you can say something to the effect of,
“Hey, most agents have what I call a three point plan where they meet you or talk to you once, they put you on a property drip, and they wait for you to tell them the properties you want to see. Not very aggressive, right?”
And that’s going to set you up for the appointment.
Now, obviously when you get to the appointment, when you’re talking to people—whether it’s in the driveway, on a Zoom call in the office, at their home, at a coffee shop, or whatever it’s going to be—you’re going to have to have all these different presentations ready.
You have to be able to clearly explain what you’re going to do differently. Because the buyer consult is (and has always been for top agents) a very important meeting.
So this is what we’ve developed:
“Here are all the things we do differently than that three-point plan…”
If you’re not clearly differentiating yourself from the three-point plan agents, you’re not going to be able to go further with it and win the business.
So, here are some examples of what we do to differentiate ourselves:
- We give you up-to-the-minute real-time property searches.
- We prospect off-market properties in targeted neighborhoods.
- We use the size of our sales team as an opportunity to bring off-market sales.
- We’ve got a 10-point plan to make the offer more attractive.
- We leverage agent relationships for negotiation and off-market sales.
- We gather relevant intel to secure the home and get the best price in terms for you.
- We analyze sales data to ensure you’re paying a fair price.
- We negotiate on your behalf and present offers in a professional manner.
- We assist you in finding the best financing package because I’ve got lenders I’m connected with.
- We discuss and review homeowners insurance options.
- We navigate the inspection process.
- We ensure everything happens on time.
- We audit and review the title report, review final costs, and audit the settlement sheet.
- We connect you with local contractors and trusted vendors before, during and after the sale.
You’re probably already doing a lot of this. The point is it’s not being communicated well.
So, if you use that script (“Hey, most agents, they have what I call a three-point plan…Here’s all the things we do differently”) to differentiate yourself, and you can say it with conviction, explain it and show value, you’re going to win more buyer clients.
