RISMEDIA, July 1, 2011—In the current real estate market, with home sales slumping like an injured athlete, many sellers are pulling out all the stops to get their homes to sell. One of the most common tactics is to change REALTORS® when the one they’re using isn’t getting the job done. However, one expert believes that there is another way.
“Switching REALTORS® every few months is not necessarily a strategy for success,” says Pat Hiban, a billion-dollar selling real estate agent and author of 6 Steps to 7 Figures, a self-help guide for realty agents. “In this market, it’s not uncommon for a home to stay on the market for many months. The problem with switching agents frequently is that sellers eat up a lot of time with the learning curve with each agency change. Every time a seller finds an agent, they lose their institutional memory with regard to their house and their situation.”
Hiban advises real estate agents to adhere to the following five steps to ensure their sellers don’t look to hire a different agent:
• Be Proactive – Successful people are productive every morning. In sales, that means you need to make prospecting calls, do open houses, call contacts, write notes to people, make new contacts, and get in people’s faces. Instead of waiting around for the phone to ring, work every avenue you can.
• Plan The Week – Set your agenda for the week, and make sure you are doing something every day to promote your property. Some REALTORS® tend not to pay attention to properties that aren’t generating a lot of excitement, and instead they focus on the properties that might be easier to move. Stay focused with an agenda every week, and you’ll increase your chances of being successful.
• Get Busy – Activity breeds activity. It’s a universal truth that the more you push your flow out to potential buyers, the more inward flow of contacts you’ll generate. One thing really does lead to another, so even when the response is slow, keep plugging away. You never know when you’ll catch a break, but if you aren’t in the game and getting out in the community, you’ll never have a chance to find one.
• Accept All Invitations – Networking can many times win the day, and real estate agents typically receive every invitation available to local networking and community events. When you attend these functions, everyone in the room could be a potential client or a potential buyer.
• Don’t Panic – Panic and negativity on the part of your seller can make you feel the same way. Stay focused and positive. If you keep going, they’ll keep going.
Pat Hiban is a residential REALTOR® with the prestigious title of Billion Dollar Agent, having sold one billion dollars in homes, one house at a time. Much of Hiban’s specialty is in the foreclosure market with current clients that include Freddie Mac, Wells Fargo and Bank of America.
For more information, please visit www.pathiban.com.
