Inspiration

Control your clients and be persuasive.

RAT 54 (Rawlings Agency Tip)

Presumably you want your clients to listen to what you have to say and then take your advice in relation to your suggested asking price, offers etc..

The trouble is, one of the greatest frustrations in estate agency is that despite your best efforts, clients don’t always do as they are told! But there are some small things you can do that can help you to control your clients’ behaviour.

Firstly remember that, much like a puppy in training, your client wants to feel secure. They need a firm hand and know their boundaries. They would far rather obey a kind but firm approach than a wishy-washy one and they certainly respect a master who clearly knows what he wants them to do, as long as this is in their best interest. It’s just no longer any good taking the attitude of “the client’s always right!” As you know, they are usually wrong!

If the client is hiring a guide, then they expect and deserve guidance. So let them have it. They appreciate the wisdom of an expert who is clearly an authority on the subject. So make sure they know who they are dealing with… an expert! Find excuses to give well qualified advice and deliver it with conviction, looking them straight in the eye and making good use of silence at the end of an unequivocal statement.

Also, turn your questions into statements. So instead of “could we have an open house this weekend,” use, “I need you to have an open house this weekend.” Such positive statements are persuasive.

Another way to secure control is to subtly re-stage their property just before a viewing. So you might say to the seller before a prospective buyer arrives, “I’m just going to move this chair back a bit” or “I’m just going to collapse the clothes line for the viewing if I may”. Turn various lights on, close drawers, open doors and be seen to be scanning the house for anything else that needs to be done before the buyer comes round. This demonstrates interest, attention to detail and suggests a “leave this to me; I know what I’m doing” approach.

Hopefully when the time comes to submit an offer, the seller will have got used to you telling them what to do!

Try it, subtly, but be careful not to appear arrogant!

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© Richard Rawlings 2010
Richard Rawlings is the founding director of Estate Agency Insight, which specialises in helping estate agencies harness opportunity through innovative method, marketing, publicity, and training. He can be contacted at or on 0845 838 1354.

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