Training & Business Development: Seller Agency Council Offers Marketing Help

RISMEDIA, August 8, 2007–As the market begins moving back toward favoring the buyer, agents should be the ones at the top of the food chain. The Seller Agency Council, administrator of the Accredited Seller Representative (ASR) designation, notes that while there is a whole new electronic paradigm out there affecting everyone in the transaction, real estate professionals must never get too far away from the basics of who they are, what they do and how they do it.

According to Thomas M. Mitchell of the council, “All the statistics show over and over again that sellers want agents who are honest, ethical, reliable and positive. Since that is a long-term relational commitment, now is the ‘time to shine’ in the market and the Seller Agency Council has been reminding its members that the basic principles have not changed.”

During the selling process the seller wants feedback all along the way; in the way they choose to communicate whether it’s in person over a cup of coffee or by phone, e-mail or instant messaging.

Develop a pre-determined plan of contact that provides the seller with an “expectation” of fulfillment; then follow through on time.

Face-to-face is preferable when discussing the various factors that determine the salability of the home: price, terms, condition and marketing.

Establish the marketing criteria and the plan and ensure that the sellers understand there are two markets; the public and other agents. Sellers want to see significant and effective advertising and promotion.

Always remember the underlying reason that sellers hire a real estate agent: they want someone to represent their best interests, to be a sounding board and to help them wade through a stressful process and make sound decisions.

Sellers need your experience and expertise to make a sound decision … but don’t forget it has to be “their” decision.

As simple as it sounds – sellers want a job well done and not one that is just started. Follow through at every step and remember the old adage: Under promise and over deliver.

Frequently communicate your activities and your progress … communicate – communicate – communicate.

According to Mitchell, “Many agents forget that they are not just marketing the seller’s home – they are developing a customer for life. The cost of losing the customer after the closing is huge in the dollars and time that will need to be expended to find a replacement. Even after the sale and closing, you need to be pro-active in your activities to instill in them the assurance that they chose a true professional and that you will be there all along the way.”

Agents need to remember that the first time around the sellers don’t know what value they add to the process – they need to be shown. After that it’s a process of proving yourself every time out – and in customer retention that means “all the time.”
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To learn more about effectively representing the seller and the ASR program, visit www.SellerAgency.com

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