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RAT 26 (Rawlings Agency Tips) Appealing to interest!

I was with an agent recently, who, during a marketing proposal meeting with a prospective vendor, took understandable pride in showing them details of similar properties they had sold, some of which were sold over a year ago, and all of which were under the asking price! What does this say to the client? There’s nothing happening now? And “don’t trust our asking price – we’re usually wrong, and we aren’t too worried about getting the highest price for you!?”

Little mention was made of current stock, nor of today's buyers. Whilst there can be some reassurance in knowing that the agent does actually sell properties locally, if I were selling, I think I’d feel better advised, if I were shown details of what is currently on the market – in other words – my competition. Ideally the agent would then go on to point out how much better my house is than others in certain respects. It would also be useful to be shown what is failing to sell, especially other agents’ stock (why do agents only carry details of their own instructions?).

But most of all, especially in this market, I would just love to see the agent enthusiastically pull out a list of buyers, in price order, and demonstrate to me where precisely my property sat on this list, and who would be suitable. Then for the agent to speak about each of these buyers as if they are known to him/her personally, and suggest that Mr X or Mrs Y would love to come round as soon as the HIP was in place. Sign here please!

And my quote of the day, which seems rather fitting, is by the American statesman and novelist Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) – “If you want to persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect”

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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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