A Winning Low Offer Strategy
When you receive a low offer on one of your listings that is priced right, what’s your strategy? In many cases, the sellers may become angry with you for bringing them a low offer.
Here’s a simple way to keep the negotiation going forward when your buyer decides to submit an unrealistically low offer. This tactic is especially useful if the sellers are angry over how low the offer is.
Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I would have liked nothing better than to bring you a full price offer.
However, the buyers have elected to write an offer that is substantially under your asking price. My experience has been that about half the time we can put these together if you will write a counteroffer and continue the negotiation.
I’ve used this script numerous times and about half the time, you will be able to put the deal together provided there aren’t other competing offers.
A Powerful International Tip to Build Your Business
Did you know that agents who work with domestic clients only close an average of 33 percent of their transactions?
In contrast, transactions conducted with clients from outside the U.S. on average close 50 percent of their transactions. The even better news is that they earn 50 percent more than agents who work with only domestic U.S. clients.
Part of this reason is the stringent requirements to obtain a loan in the U.S. if you’re not born here or have a green card. Consequently, most international buyers end up paying all cash.
If you’re ready to increase your income, expanding your business to include more international buyers and sellers is a smart move.
How and Why to Conduct Competitor Reconnaissance
Would you like to dominate the competition in your market? If so, the first step is to find out as much as possible about how your competitors market their services. In other words, you need to understand your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, as well as how to best compete against them. Here’s what to do: 
- Visit your competitors’ websites to learn what services they offer and exactly how they are different from the services you offer.
- Look at their print and digital advertising including as many of their brochures, mailers, and other marketing materials as possible.
- Identify what you and your company do that they don’t do. These are points to discuss on your listing presentation.
- Also identify what they do that you and your company does not do. Determine if you can add any of these services to the services you offer.
- Ideally, you want to offer everything that each of your competitors provides and at least two other services they don’t provide.
- Create a checklist of the services you provide and place a red checkmark next to services not provided by your competitors.
Give this to the sellers on your next appointment. Very few agents do this and it’s great way to make sure that you win the listing.
Get a Life Outside Real Estate
I have two questions for you:
- When was the last time you took a full day off—no phone, no text messages, just a day totally devoted to relaxing and enjoying life?
- During the last 30 days, how many times have you let a real estate appointment keep you from taking time off?
While you may feel all those clients and appointments are critically important, here are some other important questions to consider. 
When you look back over the last ten years, what memories do you have? Do you remember all those important clients that you missed events for? Or are your memories of the special times when you did take time off?
Chances are your most special memories are those outside your business. In general, the richness of our lives comes not from how many houses we sell, but from the times spent with friends and loved ones. If you haven’t done so already, schedule at least one full real estate free day as soon as possible.
Where to Get Plenty of Blog, Instagram, and YouTube Post Ideas at No Charge
Would you like to get some great topics to post on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or your blog?
If you’re like most agents, you probably haven’t cleaned out the sent box of your email for quite some time. Well, that’s actually great news and here’s why. One of the best sources for posts are the questions you normally answer for your clients in an email.
Each time a client asks you a question, make a point of emailing the answer to the client and then posting the written information on your blog, your Facebook business page, and/or Instagram. Next, use that information to make a video you can post on YouTube as well as Facebook and any other social media or video sites you use.
Now go back to your sent box. If you have ever answered questions for your clients via email, you already have a treasure trove of blog posts already written that are just waiting to be posted online or turned into a video. Just cut and paste and you’re ready to go!