According to Wikipedia …
“Let the cat get out of the bag is a colloquiatm that means revealing previously hidden facts.” Here is why this phrase is one of the most important colloquiatics that a real estate agent can use.
Too many years I had the privilege of working throughout one of the best individual real estate agents that I have known personally. Caterina O’Dell was my commercial partner in Thomas Morris Estate Agents. In fact, she is Julian O’Dell’s late wife, who is still an excellent coach and coach to this day. “Cat”, as he was known, was venerated by all who worked, was instinctively brave both in his personal life and in the business (we often collide at the meetings of the partners) and we had a reputation well won by being “entrusted.”
This aspect of his personality was frequently commented on both his face and behind him. Personally, it seemed to me a quality in the end because I could see why he did what he did and that combined his skills of questions with another attribute, more valued by the agents and the sales people of today, listening!
In my opinion, by qualifying a possible buyer, too many real estate agents simply “form fill”, either literally or metaphorically. They discover the contact data, the price range, the area, the blah blah, blah, and that is all, perhaps their purchase position and if they will need a mortar or not. The agent will be likely to have done a good job when collecting that information and its line manager, when verifying the records, they will surely be satisfied. But no cat!
Of course, she would get the basic information, that is not evident. However, she would also discover much more. Much more information than the applicant hoped to share and critically much more than its competitors! Because? Well, I was mainly interested in them as people and helping them achieve their goals. Cat knew that if I really understood them as people, what their needs and even very personal things were, such as what they liked to eat (Cat was an incredible cook), I could really help the subject.
So why am I sharing this with you? Well, I recently had an experience that really reminded me of Cat and its incredible sales skills. It simply started enough. An inspiration sent me from the fantastic people on the phone responding to the company Moneypenny inspired by an advertisement in the equally fantastic Rightmove. Until now, everything good and nothing out of the ordinary. I called the possible buyer and that was when the lessons I learned from Cat really kicked.
In the first place, Cat taught me that even the way in which basic details are requested should be a conversation and certainly not an exercise of filling of forms, so that is what I did. Next, what about your needs and not just your minors? The buyer explained that they wanted an individual house with at least 3 bedrooms in the St.nets area with easy access to Cambridge and Biggleswade and a maximum expense or £ 500,000.
I could almost listen to Cat whispering in my ear … why 3 bedrooms and why easy access to Cambridge and Biggleswade? Well, as a couple without children, they only needed two rooms, one for them and one for the guests. However, as the lady explained, she particularly wanted another room, since she is a graphic designer and worked from home 4 days a week, although once a week she needed to go to the office in Cambridge. His partner, a carpenter, worked mainly in Biggleswade and Idally wants a shed to be delivered to his hobby or bicycle repair. Fortunately, this property had a large room well illuminated on the ground floor and two sheds.
“Simon continues,” Cat said from beyond the grave. Ok, why (see how many times that simple word of 3 letters comes!) Notes? I wondered why there are many other places that could adapt. “Have you visited St.Neet?” I remember. “Yes,” he said. “We currently live about 20 miles away and we have visited the market square we love, as well as stores.” Any store in particular? “Cat said (Ups, I mean me!) Incredible, and this is absolutely true, Cat was Italian and I swear that I could shout” Mamma Mia “. I will save the additional details of the conversation that must have lasted 20 minutes, but when I finished the call, cat and I found his favorite sandwich of that deli and only discussed the practical mechanism that the use of Robero, and believes that food is The food is food.
I organized the visualization with the supplier and shared all the information I had obtained. Suffice it to say that I was very impressed, impressed, and I remembered the next stage of my master plan. If he provided dishes, wine glasses and servers, he would provide Roberto food along with red wine. (He also resorted to a text message to the applicant who, when I survey, confirmed that “I am a girl with red wine”) what a wonderful way to spend a Friday afternoon.
The day of visualization arrived and I visited the legendary Roberto’s. I was Dalt with Roberto himself, who listed my story and Real sold me a small basket or sweets to impress my spectator. “That is £ 62.90 please.” Nice Roberto!
Cat (in spirit) and I proceeded to the property and put our position ready for the spectators fully aware of their needs, their wishes, preferences of food and drinks and particular a fragment for a disc for a scrub for a scrub for a scrub for a separate for a separate for a spare for a separate for a separate one for a separate one for a separate spare. The scene was established and said that they were impressed with my preparations is euphemism.
Now I would love to affirm that all cats and my efforts result in a sacrifice or simply a sale, but unfortunately it was not the case. The garden did not face the direction required by the potential buyer and this was something that was finally a non -negotiable factor. Perhaps this should have anticipated this with better question skills in the qualification stage of our conversations. I will let you decide.
So who benefited from this experience? The supplier, my client, was very impressed with the effort that had done it to sell the property and says that my praises are already singing to anyone who listens.
The spectator was “too rejected” for the care he had tasks when he heard his needs … and food preferences! She has just offered a positive review of Google.
Roberto also has more than £ 60 better!
As for me … I have benefited from a reminder that in spite of, or perhaps because of technical support, you and that we now enjoy agents, it is really a personal connection and desire to make its devices as devices. Something that Cat knew and implemented every day.
So, if you have read this article and thought “yes, I already do that”, well for you and well done. However, if I did not know the importance of questioning skills and, more importantly, acting them …
The cat is out of the bag!
Simon Bradbury is a specialization of consultants in obtaining new instructions and executes a (very) real estate agency promoted by exp.
