| We live in an age of the scam artist. To be fair, the scam artist dates way back. Whether it’s snake oil or extended warranties for your car, or a Nigerian prince promising you piles of money, sleazy people have been taking advantage of the vulnerable for as long as anyone can remember. With the internet, texting, spoof calls, and identity theft, it’s worse now than it’s ever been. And this has caused everyone to keep a wall of suspicion up at all times. So it’s understandable that your seller might be a little skeptical. They are simply afraid of being taken advantage of. You can see it when you first talk to a seller. Their defensive wall is high and thick. It’s our job to create an environment where they feel safe. And it can’t be faked. You have to earn their trust by actually being trustworthy. This can’t be done immediately and it can’t just be said with words but rather it must be demonstrated with your actions. I had a conversation with a seller who told me that he had recently received a bunch of lowball offers and wanted to understand the real potential sale value of the property. I told him that I am an open book and that I would help him find real answers to his questions. We looked at comps and we looked at what a property‘s after repair value was in his neighborhood as well as what it would take to repair that type of a property. I gave him the ability to do his own research with my tools and my knowledge. I became a trusted resource for him. His body language told me that his guard was down and that he felt safe. That is exactly the type of environment that you want to create. As a real estate professional, you need to present yourself as a leader and good leaders make others feel safe. If somebody has their guard up it’s usually because they do not feel safe. If you lay all your cards on the table as to what you can provide for them in an honest and truthful manner your sellers will get the sense that you are there to look after them and not just your own interest. Leadership is one of your most important roles. It doesn’t happen by accident or chance. It is a choice you need to consciously make every day. Committed to your success, Ernie “Honest Abe” Vargas | The Probate Fox |
June 10
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